The Spirit of Kokuyo
by Rinnu500
Summary: I spent seven years at Enma's side, before my own honesty sent us separate ways. Mukuro's motives were suspicious and unclear when he took me in, but somewhere along the road, I think they changed to something better. I was the apple to his pine, after all. SIOCxMukuro (Branches off of chapter 40 of The Spirit of Shimon.) [Currently being revamped]
1. A New Beginning

**Ritsu: It's finally happening, everyone.**

**It's finally here.**

**To anyone who hasn't read the first 40 chapters of The Spirit of Shimon, this story is probably going to be REALLY confusing. So I suggest you go read it for backstory purposes. **

**Now then… please enjoy the very first chapter of The Spirit of Kokuyo!**

* * *

"The whole time… you've been _lying _to me…"

The look on Enma's face was absolutely heartbreaking.

"I knew you hadn't been completely honest with me… but… everyone has secrets…"

I regretted it.

"I honestly didn't care if you lied! I figured you were just… trying to do what you thought was best for me…"

My heart clenched painfully.

"But you're telling me you knew Mami would die and you _just let it happen_?"

I flinched.

I had honestly let it slip my mind at the time. And I had _wanted_ to save her-

"… I'm sorry…" was all I could manage, meeting Enma's gaze. What made it even worse was the look on his face. He didn't look angry. Upset, yes, but he didn't look angry.

Just heartbroken.

Betrayed.

Something glimmered in his hand before it hit the ground.

Enma turned around, running off.

I could swear he was crying.

* * *

I felt… hollow. Empty. Guilty.

I wasn't surprised. He had been justified in his actions. I had expected it.

So why did it hurt so much?

I stared at my hands, a small silver ring resting on my palms. Something wet hit the ring.

"Rain..?"

Another drop hit my hands. Another one, and another and another.

I came to the realization I was crying.

Enma had thrown away the ring.

He had thrown away _me_.

He had a right to be angry. I lied to him for so long, kept him in the dark. And I had expected him to be angry, to yell at me and to tell me to leave and never come back. But then he'd simply sent me that look.

That heartbroken look, that betrayed look.

And then he'd simply dropped the ring onto the pavement, before running off.

_What am I… supposed to do now..?_

I could've gone to Tsuna, or Yamamoto, or even Sasagawa, but they interacted with the Shimon before the fighting. Chances were they'd gladly do so afterwards too. I didn't want to see them. Not now.

If Enma told the others, I had no doubts that they too would be angry with me. And I didn't doubt he would tell them. They deserved to know.

A sudden warmth enveloped me, arms circling my shoulders, pulling me backwards into a hug. A familiar scent washed over me.

"… What are _you_ doing here..?"

"Come to Kokuyo. Your talents will be of use there."

It wasn't a request, it was an order.

But I found that, at that moment…

I didn't particularly care.

Instead, I merely followed Mukuro silently, my eyes downcast the entire time. My head was pounding, and while my tears had dried I couldn't rid myself of the frown on my lips. I wasn't sure if Chrome was still in Kokuyo, and if she wasn't, there definitely wasn't any need to. I already knew no matter what first impression I made on Chikusa and Ken they probably wouldn't like me. And I couldn't bring myself to care.

When we reached Kokuyo, Mukuro exchanged words with said two males quietly before Chikusa more or less dragged me off to a somewhat decent room, compared to the condition of most of Kokuyo. He didn't say a word and simply left me there.

There was a bed located to the left of the door, but apart from that the room was fairly empty. A nightstand was next to the bed, a small lamp placed on it. It looked ready to collapse. On the opposite side of the room, the right side, there was a worn window. The view wasn't anything special, just more of the rather desolate remains of the park, but I found myself in front of the glass, one hand placed against it.

And I remained in that spot up until the moment Mukuro entered the room.

* * *

Watching her stare out of the window was oddly unsettling, Mukuro thought. She seemed out of it, almost as if she could disappear at any moment. Had the rejection from the Shimon brat hit her that hard? Was she truly that close to him?

And was the brat so weak that he couldn't handle the truth?

Mukuro had heard it all, not patient enough to wait until she decided to fulfill her promise. While he certainly wasn't too happy with the fact that she had known a lot of things and refrained from telling him, it was something he had suspected for a long time now. To him, it wasn't too terrible of a surprise, if he was to be honest with himself.

And while it would certainly take him a while to accept it all, he saw no reason to shun her for such a reason.

_And if you abandon her for a single thing when she's spent seven years at your side…_

_Then you're not worthy of her._

After all, she could've spent those seven years by _his _side-

Mukuro interrupted his thoughts before they went out of his control. Instead, he took a few steps closer to Tomo, watching her with calculating eyes.

"What am I… supposed to do now?" Tomo spoke, her voice wavering.

"What do you want to do?"

At that, she turned around, sending Mukuro a wide-eyed look.

"What… what do I _want_ to do..?"

She truly made it sound like a foreign concept, Mukuro mused to himself with a nod.

"A trait of yours I've always loathed is your insistence of doing what you're supposed to, ignoring what you actually _want_ to do."

"But I… I have to save-"

"Enma? Why is that? Because someone told you to?" he asked her, a scowl on his face.

Her silence was all the answer he needed.

"Tell me, when was the last time you did something because you _wanted_ to?"

* * *

I found myself quiet, pondering his question. I had followed Daemon around of my own will- but it was for the sake of protecting Enma – and I had gone to the island-

I took a deep breath, exhaling slowly.

Any major decisions I had made all came back to Enma in the end. I had done them because I wanted to, but not for my own sake so much as it was for Enma. True, I wanted to protect him because I cared for him, but-

_It's like I've been babysitting him… holding us both back from our true potential… After all… Enma is… stronger than me, isn't he..? In the end… while I did protect him… in the end, __**I**__ was the one who was saved, wasn't I?_

Meeting Mukuro's piercing stare, I managed a bitter smile.

"I… see your point."

He nodded, seemingly pleased with my answer. But something struck me as odd.

"You lecture me for not doing what I want… but what others tell me I'm supposed to… but aren't you doing the same thing? Asking me to come here-"

He chuckled, his lips tugging into his typical smirk.

"Ah, but you see… I am not forcing anyone. You are free to leave whenever you wish. You're the one who chose to follow me and the one who chose not to leave. I've no interest in caged birds. They are far too naïve and weak, you see. All those who follow me, do so because they want to. And what you choose to do from here on is up to you, no one else. If you wish to leave…" he trailed off, motioning towards the door. "The exit is right there."

I blinked, unsure of what to say. While he had certainly ordered me to go with him to Kokuyo earlier, something about his eyes told me that he was actually telling the truth now. That I was free to choose for myself whether I stayed or not. I fidgeted with my hands, staring at the silver ring in my now open palm.

"Do you think… he'll ever forgive me?" I mumbled, eyes set on the ring. I heard him step closer, before a hand landed on my head. I blinked in surprise, looking up to meet Mukuro's gaze.

"Oh? And what am I, a mind reader?"

I cracked a small smile at his joke, considering he technically could be considered as such. A frown soon replaced the smile however, and I thought I saw his eyes soften.

"Some things are never forgiven," he spoke, his tone serious. I nodded slowly, my frown growing deeper.

"But if he truly considers you a friend, then he'll forgive you with time."

It was odd, hearing him say such a comforting thing. It sounded so out of character for him, and I almost wanted to laugh. In fact, I think I did laugh.

And then I cried along with the sky, hiding myself away in the mist. I wailed and sobbed, clutching onto Mukuro for dear life. And while I think it bothered him, he didn't move. Even when I heard Ken's obnoxious whining about my own obnoxious crying, neither I nor Mukuro moved.

Eventually I quieted down, face buried in the crook of his neck.

"I'll stay…" I mumbled softly, my voice sounding strange to my own ears.

"… Because I want to…"

I felt him nod.

"But I… still want to find out the truth… about this existence of mine… I want to know _why_ I… was told to save him."

Another nod.

"… Thank you, Mukuro…"

That was when I passed out.

When I woke up in the bed - _my_ bed, I realized - gently tucked in beneath the covers I swore I saw a familiar pair of eyes. But before I could ponder it further, I allowed sleep to claim me once more.

* * *

**Ritsu: So, a rather slow start, but we'll delve into deeper stuff soon. So… I am by no means trying to make Enma seem like a total baddie here. But something drastic had to happen to separate them, and thus this did.**

**So, Mukuro is apparently a therapist now? Wha?**

**Who knows! I just write what pops into my head! So… Look forward to the next chapter!**


	2. The Kokuyo Gang

**Ritsu: So, in my TSOS chapter I mentioned some prizes cause yeah. Reviews, heck yeah! Now then, I also mentioned a prize I promised for this story when it came out. **

**The first person to send me a 100+ words review will get a chibi illustration of a Tomuro moment of their choosing. Of course, a nonsense review filled with random words won't be counted, as it should be obvious. **

**Additionally, I have another prize to give to someone. Tomo is gonna need a weapon and a box animal (Because she is badass like that) and what I want all of you to do, should you want to, is to send me suggestions on what kind of animal her box animal should be. Her weapon has already been chosen by me, but I want all of you to suggest animals! I also want a LEGITIMATE reason WHY you think the animal would be a good choice for Tomo. Saying it should be a squirrel because they eat nuts and Tomo is nuts is not a good enough reason. So just keep it above that level and you should be fine. After that, I'll use a number generator to decide, unless one suggestion really outweighs the others. **

**The prize for the lucky person whose suggestion I pick is a two day weekend with- Oh, wait, I forgot I can't afford that… uhh… a KHR oneshot of their choosing. Whatever pairing you want. I'm keeping it strictly KHR because I don't feel like listing all the animes/mangas and games I know. So yeah. If you want that XanxusxShamal fic you've always dreamed of, get to studying some animals~ Oh, but lemons are a no-no.**

**Lastly, I won't be using the same box animal for TSOS. That'll be dealt with in TSOS at a later time.**

* * *

**Review answering time? Review answering time!**

**animagirl: Yes! Let's hope she finds the truth!**

**ChocolateWolfey: D: Poor girl… At least we do! **

**Serinny: It is! C': Yus! I shall do my best to keep it that way!**

**My Name is Alice: Rawr, you know me and feels. We go way back~ And don't worry. The Kokuyo gang will shine :D Especially Ken. I love Ken. And Fran… That little apple will be the death of me, I swear. And cutie Chrome. M.M… Miss Mario, yes. That will be fun to write… The annual Mukuro Games will soon begin… XD Good luck with your homework! (I am incredibly glad I no longer have homework…)**

* * *

**Pffft, if you like prizes, I hope you didn't skim over anything. Don't lie, I know some of you do! If you did, go back up and read it!**

**Also, over 20 favorites and 30 follows, but only 4 reviews? Really? **_**Really?**_

**You make me cry sometimes.**

* * *

It wasn't often that I genuinely felt the need to beat someone up. It was something reserved to bad guys, and in my current life the only one I'd felt that urge towards was Daemon Spade.

Up until I had breakfast with the Kokuyo gang.

Honestly, I had expected it to be bad, but it was so much worse than what I imagined. My venting the day before had certainly made me feel a lot better, but throwing myself out of the window – or most of the table guests – was sounding more and more like a good idea.

Mukuro wasn't present, obviously, as things had been far calmer if he had. I suspected he was 'sleeping in' on purpose. Out from prison or not, that pineapple was strong enough to be up and about again. But as he had decided to be more of a cactus this particular morning, I found myself being glared at the moment I set foot in the kitchen. Or what was supposed to be a kitchen, anyway. It looked more like a warzone, but I didn't really have the guts to complain.

I was pretty sure Ken and Chikusa had been informed by Mukuro who I was and why I was here, though Mukuro probably lied and gave them a stupid story, and Chrome and I _had_ met before and actually spoke quite a bit on the Vongola ship on our way back to Namimori. However, there was an additional gang member that had no idea who I was save from 'a possible love rival for Mukuro's affections'.

And let me tell you, M.M's glare was not a joke. Combined with Ken's annoyed glare and whining about how I 'should appreciate Mukuro-san's great kindness more' made me want to hurt something. It wasn't as if I had actually done anything towards them, _yet_.

In the end, I ended up not eating anything until they left the room, quietly chatting with Chrome. I was really glad Mukuro hadn't kicked her out yet. I was kind of hoping he wouldn't, though I knew it would be beneficial for both of them in the end.

Roughly an hour later, the pineapple king finally decided to abandon dreamland, only to find the only available dish to be sliced and brutally burnt pineapple.

I could almost feel the trident stab me from a distance.

When he got over himself he called everyone together, for a proper introduction as I 'had been lacking in giving out that information'.

"This is Tomo. She will be staying here from now on."

I raised my hand for a lazy wave. After breakfast, I had gone from gloomy to annoyed. While Chrome sent me a small and shy smile, M.M had that same glare on her face and Ken didn't even look at me. Chikusa just kind of… stared. Mukuro, pretending his gang had no troubles at all, merely continued.

"Tomo provided the information about the tenth Vongola heir, so I suggest you do not take her lightly, or your own secrets might be laid bare."

There was a barely laced threat concealed in his words. I couldn't decide whether it was 'Don't be mean to her' or 'She'll find out everything about you and upload it online', however.

Maybe it was both.

As I was about to suggest Chikusa taking a photo of me as it'd last longer- his stare was really boring into my soul – he suddenly stood up, walking up to me. Adjusting his glasses, he gave me one more stare.

"Kakimoto Chikusa."

And then he just left. A small smile fluttered onto my lips. At least Chikusa didn't hate me, right?

Mukuro stared expectantly at Ken and M.M. He knew Chrome and I already knew eachother and that she was too nice to be rude, so there was no real need to send her any looks.

Ken looked highly displeased as he wandered towards the door.

"Feh, it's Ken."

M.M crossed her arms, but reluctantly introduced herself.

"M.M."

_W.W, got it._

With a disgruntled 'hmph' she proceeded to ignore my presence, instead fawning over her precious Mukuro. I in turn proceeded to ignore her as well, turning to look at Chrome. The girl walked over to me, and softly asked if I wanted help with my hair. Ignoring the look Mukuro sent me, no doubt wanting to talk to me later, I followed Chrome to her room.

A few minutes later I was comfortably seated on the edge of Chrome's bed (which was similar to my own. I guess Mukuro treated girls with slightly more care than guys. I was pretty sure Ken slept on a couch after all.), said girl seated behind me, gently running a brush through my hair.

* * *

"Ah… what sort of style would you like, Tomo-san?" Chrome found herself asking, wondering to herself how Tomo kept her hair so soft and tangle free, considering it was a lot longer than her own. Tomo seemed to ponder her question, before speaking.

"A braid might be nice… That way, I could let it drape over one of my shoulders and I would look like one of those Victorian women or something."

Chrome nodded, a small smile fluttering onto her lips. Tomo did seem like a very elegant woman to Chrome, after all. As she slowly began braiding Tomo's hair, she left a few strands loose.

"Tomo-san, if I may ask… how old are you?" Chrome found herself asking before she could stop herself. Her eye widened, and she covered her mouth.

"S-sorry!"

Tomo let out a soft chuckle, shaking her head lightly.

"It's okay. I don't mind answering. I guess I'd be…"

Tomo grew quiet, a thoughtful look on her face.

"Twenty three, I believe," she mumbled after a moment of thinking. Chrome blinked in surprise, but resumed braiding her hair.

"You don't look twenty three at all," she noted, hoping she didn't come off as rude. It was a true statement after all. Tomo looked like she was around her own age, possibly a year or two older. Tomo smiled in amusement, letting out another chuckle.

"If anyone else asks, I'm sixteen, okay?" she spoke before turning her head slightly to the side to wink at Chrome, as if they were sharing a secret. And in a way, they were, Chrome felt like. A small smile fluttered onto her lips.

"Yes, Tomo-san!"

* * *

As I later stared at the mirror before me, I found myself blanching. While the braid looked fine, and I found that I looked rather elegant with it slung over my left shoulder, what left me pale were the sprouting strands at the top of my head.

When Mukuro let out a howling kuhahaha behind me, I felt my cheeks heat up.

"It's not funny!"

_Why did she give me the pineapple hairdo?!_

I was ready to stomp off, not wanting Mukuro to make fun of me anymore (and to give Chrome a stern talking to about pineapple hairdos) when he promptly blocked the door. He had actual tears running down his face from laughing so hard, but he quickly wiped them away, settling his lips into a teasing smirk.

"Mukuro! Move!"

I did try to move him, but my efforts were wasted as he greatly overpowered me, and I wasn't able to move him an inch. He held something up towards me, struggling to keep a somewhat straight face. It was obvious that each time he glanced at my hair, he wanted to laugh. I scowled, but looked at his outstretched hand. A deep green set of clothes was in his hand, and clearly he wanted me to have them. As I took hold of them, I discerned rather quickly it was the Kokuyo uniform, the trademark clothing of Mukuro and his goons.

I sighed.

"Do I _have_ to wear this?"

Mukuro seemed to struggle just to speak in an even voice.

"_Yes_."

_What was that about not forcing me to do things?!_

I let out another sigh, before taking a better look at the clothes. Mukuro finally moved, allowing me to leave the cramped bathroom. However, he quickly made his way towards my bedroom, prompting me to follow. I didn't trust him alone in there.

I noticed the skirt was knee length, rather than the typical short one Chrome and W.W wore, which I was actually thankful for. I didn't exactly have the best self-confidence when it came to my legs. Especially not my thighs.

As for the jacket it looked similar to the others, and I found myself praying it wouldn't be the abdomen showing one that Chrome wore. I just didn't feel like showing off my stomach to everyone. Comparing it to myself, I found that it too, was longer than even W.W's and looked more like a combination between the boys and the girls uniform jacket.

_This could probably even cover my butt as long as I stand upright…_

"You're free to choose what to wear underneath that uniform, but please do wear the actual uniform, yes?"

I could hear the laughter in his voice. I sent him another scowl.

"That's funny, considering the fact that you know I only own this one dress."

There was a mysterious glint in his eye.

"Oh? Would you like me to take you shopping?"

"I'd rather go with Ken, thanks."

I thought I heard him mutter a 'that can be arranged' but he merely sent me a smirk when I gave him a look.

"Fine, fine. Whatever. Just get out so I can change…" I muttered, waving him off. He didn't move however, crossing his arms.

"Mukuro…" I found myself nearly growling.

"These jackets can be quite difficult to button up, you know-"

Before he could even finish his sentence I had threateningly taken hold of the nightstand lamp, getting ready to throw it. Mukuro raised his hands in mock surrender before he slowly (deliberately, I bet) left the room, letting out a chuckle on his way.

Despite how uncomfortable I felt with the fact that I was now going to be clad in nothing but a uniform and the underwear Chrome was nice enough to give me, I begrudgingly changed into the jacket and skirt combo. Of course, while I was still in the process of buttoning up my jacket (which actually _was_ quite difficult, as Mukuro had pointed out), Chikusa walked into the room. I stared wide eyed at him, my cheeks red as I quickly pulled the jacket tighter around my torso, covering myself up. The beanie wearing boy adjusted his glasses, leaving a pair of socks and sandals before he promptly left, a slight pink to his cheeks.

… _At least it wasn't Mukuro, right?_

With a red face I quickly buttoned up my jacket, leaving just the top button unbuttoned. It'd have to do for now and at least I wouldn't be flashing anyone again as long as I kept my jacket closed.

But then another question arose in my mind.

_How the hell does Mukuro know my size?!_

* * *

Chrome smiled, glancing in through the door towards Tomo. She hadn't noticed the female illusionist yet, it seemed.

_I hope… I was able to relieve some of your pain, Tomo-san._

* * *

**Ritsu: Welp. Longer chapter. Enjoy it. Chikusa got some fanservice. Wonder if Mukuro will like that.**

**I'll be drawing up a picture of Tomo's Kokuyo look when I can. She'll be rocking the same look for a while, after all. Also, I do remember how Ken pays for Chrome's bathing. Which implies she goes to a bathhouse. Which means Mukuro is cheap. Bathhouse adventures incoming. And shopping trips.**

**And yes, Tomo will refer to M.M as W.W for a while. Deal with it. **


	3. The Apple To The Pine

**Ritsu: *EDIT* I've added a link on my profile to the freshly drawn Kokuyo version of Tomo. Go check it out~**

**Heh… This chapter will be fun~ Moreover, a few days has passed since the last chapter, mmkay?**

**I'm going to really mess up the plot now, so bear with me.**

**Additionally, a winner has been picked for the 100+ words review. Congrats, ChocolateWolfey!**

* * *

**Review answering time!**

**FrozenThinMint: Glad you think so! :D I'm looking forward to my own arc as well! Got lots of stuff planned c: And yes, Tomo and Frapple will make the best apple duo in Japan, I'm sure! Hah… Well, I suppose XD**

**Her mission… we~ll… it'll all be revealed in the end, but it won't be for a while. I'm hoping to bring more of it out in the open during this coming arc, so look forward to it!**

**Oooh… I really do like some of those suggestions… c: You have a wonderful day too!**

**ChocolateWolfey: Congrats on winning! Tomuran… it got more popular than planned XD I'm really glad you like it though! The otome kokoro… I know the feels D: And yes! He is! C: His part will be significantly bigger in this fic over TSOS. He won't be angry with her forever, I can assure you. I'm glad! I'll try my best to update regularly (as long as I have time and inspiration) but I shan't push myself too hard! Byye~**

* * *

We were getting Fran.

I was freaking out.

He was kind of good looking in the future, but vaguely remembering his present face, I found myself blushing, my eyes practically glimmering. He was so _cute_. And now I would get to see him in person?

_Oh my gosh! _

Of course, Ken had made it clear he didn't like the idea of me going with them, but when both Mukuro and Chikusa (to my surprise) had ganged up on him with exasperated looks, he'd caved. W.W had also voiced some protests, but she changed her tune when Mukuro sent her a single look. Mukuro sure knew how to use that affection towards him in a good way.

_It's kind of worrying, actually…_

And so our little group was well on our way when we encountered trouble. And trust me, giving the Varia the impression that you're a blushing bride (something Ken had sneakily muttered under his breath upon seeing me fawn over the Fran we hadn't met yet) wasn't the greatest thing ever.

"Rokudo Mukuro!"

That loud voice. Squalo.

"Varia… I see, it's about him. You're moving to acquire him too."

"… He's a person, Mukuro… not a thing…" I muttered quietly, now snapped out of my stupor. Mukuro ignored me, however, having noticed the large apple like figure approaching. I resisted the urge to run up to him as he squatted down on top of a small rock in the water.

"Ummm… What should I do..?" he spoke to himself, and I briefly wondered if he simply hadn't seen us yet. Squalo and Belphegor were discussing his hat, whereas Mukuro, Ken and W.W were calling him an idiot. I almost complained, but I didn't feel like starting a fight again. Besides, I was too busy staring at Fran as he finally noticed us.

"… I'm seeing fairies."

_I'm kind of okay with being a fairy…_

Unlike the shocked reactions from the others, I found myself letting out a chuckle as he tried to chant us away.

"It's me, Fran! You remember your master, right?"

Fran looked kind of terrified, in his monotone like way.

"I'm surprised," Fran began as Mukuro let out a chuckle. "That there would be a pineapple fairy on this mountain."

At that point I was quite literally rolling on the ground with laughter. Ken promptly stomped on my stomach however, bringing me out of my little episode. Chikusa was nice enough to help me up, surprising me yet again. And then we just kind of stared at eachother awkwardly for a moment before Fran got our attention.

"You guys are tooth decay fungi."

"WE'RE NOT FAIRIES OR TOOTH DECAY FUNGI!"

I winced at the volume of Squalo's voice. I should have expected it, but Fran was fairly distracting. Chikusa quickly grabbed hold of Mukuro, holding him back as he was looking ready to kill Fran.

"Mukuro-sama… it'd be best if you calmed down or you'll kill what we came for."

"Let me go, Chikusa. I'm still young…"

_What does his age have to do with anything though...?_

"I'll kill you!"

Belphegor threw a set of knives that was heading straight for Fran. While I wanted to jump in the way to block them, now that I had gotten some actual training with Chrome and could form shields significantly easier, I was also kind of scared of pissing any Varia member off.

They were pretty scary in person, and all. Fran obviously agreed as he started running, yelling something about fungi and knives. Ken did a shabby attempt at calming him down, instead getting stamped as an idiot fairy for his habits. As for Levi, Fran didn't seem fazed in the least, and simply proceeded to run past.

But in my amusement I barely noticed when Mukuro and Chikusa moved, blocking off Fran's escape route alongside Squalo.

_You don't know a thing about dealing with children, Mukuro… tsk…_

"Just give up, Fran."

I slowly snuck closer, not wanting the Varia to pay too much attention to me. Fran was quite distressed, but seemingly managed to insult everyone further. As fun as it was, I was kind of worried they actually would kill him if he didn't stop.

But then the truth came out.

Fran did get his future memories, but then lost them.

And so the battle over custody began.

"You can have Fran."

"We don't want him!"

"You take him!"

I raised an eyebrow, an exasperated look on my face. Like a married couple.

"Honestly… you're acting like an old married couple…" I muttered, but nobody spared me a glance, too busy arguing. Well, Fran did, apparently only noticing me now. As the others drew up some ladder game to decide, Fran shuffled closer to me.

"Are you a fairy too?" he asked, pointing at me. I blinked, before slowly shaking my head.

"Well, I don't think I am. I'm more of an apple, really," I spoke, crouching down in front of him.

Fran blinked, tilting his head to the side. He seemed to ponder something to himself before he spoke again.

"Which group are you with?"

"Pineapple fairy platoon, fruity style division," I swiftly answered, ignoring the sudden feeling of something digging into my head. Moments later a trail of bloody made its way down my face. I'd just have to get back at Mukuro later. Fran however, looked kind of scared.

"Sis is bleeding!"

The whole area went quiet as a breeze came by.

My cheeks grew red, a faraway look in my eyes.

_He called me sis…_

The next moment I had pulled him into my arms, cuddling him.

"You're so _cute~!_"

"W-what the hell, byon…"

"Ah… Sis's boobs are bigger than they look…"

I blinked, his words slowly registering in my head. Holding him at a distance I tilted my head to the side. Fran _was_ known to be somewhat antagonistic, saying things to insult others without any real hesitation. But he _had_ called me sis, right?

"Is that a good thing?" I asked softly, ignoring the odd looks I was getting from both 'my' group and the Varia. Fran nodded quickly, giving me thumbs up.

"Best pair I've seen."

_I know I should feel harassed… but that _is_ the nicest compliment I've gotten in a while. … Wow, that's kind of sad…_

I let out a hum before giving his apple head a pat.

"Then thank you~"

Looks of horror were exchanged all around me. I nonchalantly wiped the blood off of my forehead with the back of my hand, releasing my hold on Fran. He shot Mukuro a look before he promptly threw himself at me again, however.

"Keep the scary pineapple fairy from stabbing me, sis!"

I did send Mukuro a look as he raised his trident threateningly, now completely ignoring the screaming Squalo behind him.

"Tomo…" he muttered, his voice laced with frustration and something I couldn't quite place. Jealousy?

_Does Mukuro think my boobs are nice too…?_

I blinked rapidly, before my face darkened. As I slowly stood back up, Fran taking the moment to hide behind me, though his apple hat was very visible, I crossed my arms.

"You can't stab Fran," I stated in a firm voice, ignoring the way Mukuro seemed to twitch. The potential seventh hell we could send him through was sounding more and more tempting. I mean, Fran's personality had always amused me, and combined with his adorable childishness it was an incredible combo. And something about being called sis just filled me with a sense of pride and… protectiveness. When I tried to ransack my memory to see why, I drew a blank.

_Ah well… can't have been very important then…_

The look Mukuro sent me clearly told me we'd discuss this later, however, in a way he handed me the victory so I sent him an amused smirk. Messing with Mukuro was really fun. No wonder Fran did it so often in the future.

Before Mukuro was able to get back to his ridiculous argument over who got custody of Fran, said apple boy spoke up.

"I'm going with sis."

I don't think I've ever seen Mukuro that horrified.

And I don't think I've ever felt so utterly happy, having the largest grin on my face ever since Enma's and my falling out.

I think… that was why Mukuro agreed to it in the end.

* * *

**Ritsu: So, Fran's here. Which means plot, but not full on plot. I've got a loophole, planned, and some more changes in plot planned. Next chapter should be the true start of my original arc. Look forward to it.**

**Also.**

**40 follows and 6 reviews? **

**I don't usually ask for reviews, but that kind of makes me sad. I know this story is just starting, but really… that's just depressing.**

**Originally I wasn't going to post chapter three unless I got past ten reviews, since it seemed like a reasonable amount as it'd be one review per four follows or something like such, but I decided to be nice. **

**Okay, I'm done ranting.**

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter.**


	4. The Arcobaleno Verde

**Ritsu: Check my profile and you'll find a link to Tomo's Kokuyo look. She lacks legs because I speed drew it last night and got lazy. But I'll note here that her socks go up past her knees. So yeah, only skin you see is neck and up and her hands. Hue. A Shimon version and a Millefiore version of Tomo will be drawn eventually. Yes, the last one is to appease the Tomuran shippers.**

**Also, can I just say Chrome looks a lot cuter in the Namimori uniform than her Kokuyo one? **

**Ask and you shall recieve… woah. I almost feel bad for ranting now. Almost. So, I'll be updating both stories today (I forgot to update Shimon yesterday, whoops) but you get this chapter first since I got so many reviews.**

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**My gawd, replies are gonna take a while, so let's go!**

**Not-Gonna-Update: He sure is c: Tomo's gone Kokuyo, yeeeaaah! Thank you c: !**

**My Name is Alice: YOU DO?! (Coughsamecough)**

**Heh… zank you c;**

…**.Must be secret Mist strats! Ofc he does. Mukuro just knows he'd be accused of being a pervert if he said so XD "I'll deal with the kid… for Tomo's sake. Ffffffffff" and he broods away. Have a nice sleep XD Dream of the Frans and the Tomos and the sisters and brothers~**

**nanahikari2000: Oh gosh… I'll answer these beginning from chapter 1… XD Well, I intended for everyone to die inside- I mean uhh… Onto the meat? Oh. OH, I thought you meant something else…. Pssssh, Tomuro is cruel like that. No cute Toen babies! HAHAHAHAHA, I have left a mark you can NEVER erase! … I may have planted those marshmallows there :3**

**Heh ;3 I try! Tomo must teach Fran all the stuff, after all! Burn aaaall de pineapples! It's symbolic! Mukuro, you're gonna burn. Burn from the hot bod that is Tomo! XD Well, I think she ended up looking pretty good … heh. And your theory is pretty much correct XD Can't have anyone seeing her assets and all! Chiku-Chiku eh… XD Yeup, lil' Chikusa getting flashed. Mukuro must be jealous! I never did explain that, did I? XD I overlooked it, mostly… Basically I forgot to mention this (as I tend to do…) but the closer Mukuro got to know Tomo and the less he began to desire a mother-like figure the more he began to see the true Tomo. If that makes sense? **

**Now for the pm… XD Reaction to the first half: My gawd, calm down! XD Relax! Fran is such a cutie yes~ Oh… I can't make promises… ;3 (BWAHAHAH! ACCEPT THE TOMURAN WITHIN YOUR HEART!). Heh… Fran has to learn his pineapple ways from someone c: Sassy!Fran will prevail! A kissy?! Aaah o7o**

**Boob scene… XD That is one way to describe it. Jealous!Mukuro will appear a lot more, so don't worry! Bwahaha XD We shall see if her boobs suddenly disappear… Also, big props for the Summary you changed XD Made me laugh! (and dw bae, is ok!)**

**MiharuOftheWhiteSea: Yeah! I shall! …. Byakuran spin-off… XD It's something that more and more people want… I might, at some point, write an AU where Tomuran gets to shine… but it won't be for a while XD Shipping Wars, Tomo Edition!**

**Tziphora: Heh, glad you do! C: Fruity Style Division shall wreak havoc !**

**BloodyBel: YOUR USERNAME AND YOUR REVIEW IS THE BEST THING OMG XDDD They will, but during this arc they won't be the main focus, as the Kokuyo gang will be bonding with Tomo. Yeup.**

**animagirl: Heh! Tomo and Fran would probably be the death of poor innocent Tsuna XD **

**LadyDream3512: Heh, good, good c: Fran will make sure Mukuro never forgets him XD Enma is a drama llama! Drama will happen!**

**TheParadoxicalOxymoron: Haremu, haremu! XD Bwahaha… one day, perhaps. Assuming I can think of a good way to do it. Fran gives the best compliments. Cause when he compliments you, you KNOW he means it. Yeee. Is ok bae, I forgive you!**

**Noface: Ikr? Same here! XD Cuddle the little frog, apple, thing… Fropple? **

**khr junkie: Heh! Glad you find it hilarious! C: I love Fran to bits as well! More chapters are on the way!**

**KiraLoveless: Check the link in my profile ;)**

**Candra-ThePhantomAuthor: YEEEEAH! FRAN LOVERS UNITE!**

**I shall add your suggestions to the list c: !**

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**Chapter warnings: Fran. Tomo. Fran **_**and**_** Tomo.**

* * *

When we had gone back to Kokuyo, Fran practically glued to me, Chrome was gone. Moreover, Mukuro informed me we were only there to fetch the last few items we'd need at our 'new' place. Literally the only thing we fetched was my bedroom lamp. I did take the liberty to hit Mukuro, but when he stabbed at me with his trident I resisted the urge to kick him as well. He'd kicked out Chrome without telling me, no doubt knowing I'd have protested, and moreover we were leaving Kokuyo for reasons he hadn't told me either.

But his trident was sort of painful to be stabbed by, so I calmed the frustration in my heart and simply followed Mukuro. A nagging voice in the back of my head told me I was forgetting something, but I ignored it.

I'd been doing my best not to think about what had happened between Enma and I, after all. Mukuro had said Enma would forgive me eventually if he really considered me a friend, but I worried he wouldn't. And those thoughts were better forgotten for the moment.

_Dwelling on it… isn't going to change anything. What's done is done…_

A small hand grasped my own and I snapped out of my thoughts, glancing down to meet Fran's gaze. His face held the monotone he'd frequent in the future, but his eyes held what I assumed was concern. I blinked twice, before sending him a small smile, tightening my grip on his hand. I made sure it wasn't too tight, however.

And I ignored the annoyed look Mukuro sent me.

He really disliked Fran, it seemed. More than I remembered, at least.

_How could anyone dislike such a cute kid..?_

My thoughts drifted towards Belphegor. That Varia prince was in my eyes even worse than Mukuro. While Mukuro did stab Fran frequently in the future, he was sticking to insults and threats in the present. Of course, it could be because I interfered every time, but still. Belphegor however, was more than eager to attempt to kill Fran regardless of his age.

_I kinda wish he hadn't gotten any memories sent to him from the future…_

Which made me wonder why _I_ hadn't gotten any memories. Byakuran did tell me he'd known me, so if I was connected to the battle and everyone, why were there no future memories for me? It was frustrating, and as we finally reached our new headquarters, I was too caught up in my own thoughts to realize just who we were meeting with. Until something hit me in the face.

I frowned, rubbing my forehead gingerly, glancing down at what had hit me. A box. A box that looked hauntingly similar to a Vongola box.

I blinked dumbly, looking up from the box to the small green haired baby. I proceeded to look back down at the box again. After I had done so a few more times, _Verde_ snapped impatiently at me.

"Try using it, you imbecile!"

I tilted my head to the side, doing my best to imitate Fran's blank expression.

"No thanks," I spoke slowly, trying to sound as bored as possible. Who was this baby to order me around anyway, genius inventor or not? Besides, I lacked a ring to open it with anyway. Verde seemingly fumed, a very displeased look on his face. Mukuro let out a sigh, ignoring the whining from his group about me (That is, W.W and Ken) and simply sent me a look telling me to go along with the baby's orders.

I glanced at Fran, who sent me a somewhat amused look, before sighing. Crouching down, I picked up the box, looked it over and stood back up, letting go of Fran's hand. I did noticed how he grabbed hold of my skirt, however.

_So cute~!_

"What are you waiting for?!"

I ignored the fuming baby, tilting my head to the side. Yep, the indentation indicated I would need a ring. Moreover, I would need to use my resolve to light a flame, and I had never done that before. True, I had learned how to form shields and I had managed to enter Hyper Dying Will Mode once, but I had acted on instinct and I wasn't even sure what my resolve was. Not anymore, anyway.

Just as Verde was about to scold me again, I looked up from the box in my hands and sent him a look.

"I don't have a ring, you know."

Verde blinked, his mouth open in surprise.

"So you _do _know how to use the boxes!"

I nodded slowly, sighing again. Something else hit me in the face. This time I groaned in frustration.

"Would you stop that?!"

The look on Verde's face told me that, no, he would keep throwing things at me since I was nothing but an imbecile.

_Urk… I forgot about Mukuro working with Verde…_

I picked up the ring on the ground, raising an eyebrow.

_So he actually knew I was a lightning flame user? Or did… Mukuro tell him?_

Putting the ring on my right hand's index finger, I stared at it silently.

Resolve.

What was my resolve?

It used to be about keeping Enma safe. But now, I wasn't so sure.

_What… do I fight for? _

I knew how to light my ring. But I didn't know what my actual resolve was.

"Don't just stand there!"

I resisted the urge to throw Verde off into the distance.

"What, you don't know how to light a ring or something?" W.W asked me, though it sounded more like an insult than anything else. I hummed.

"I know _how_ to light it, I just lack resolve."

The looks I was sent were priceless. I shrugged.

_More like I don't know what my resolve is anymore…_

"Why am I doing this in the first place anyway?" I questioned the Arcobaleno.

"I don't want any liabilities on my team!"

_Team. Right. Why was I not informed I was joining this team again?_

I stared at the ring. It felt out of place, as I was used to the simple silver ring that Enma once wore around his neck. I'd taken to habit to wearing it myself, unsure of what to do with it.

_Mukuro… he doesn't need protection… I guess Enma doesn't need it either anymore…_

I watched Fran out of the corner of my eyes. Fran would be in danger during the battles, wouldn't he? He was just a kid after all! And Vindice-

"_Don't fight the Vindice."_

Byakuran's warning ran through my mind.

_Is this what he was talking about? The Vindice attack during the Arcobalenos' fight..? __I… I want to ask him but- … __It has to be it, right? But why would I fight the Vindice? I know I can't beat them so why would I try..? Unless… it was for Fran's sake..? Or Enma's? Mukuro's?_

My ring suddenly lit up, sending lightning crackling around me. The group all took a collective step back, not wanting to be electrocuted. Fran remained in place, clutching my skirt with a small drop of sweat running down his face. I let out a quick cough, ignoring the way my cheeks lit up. I wasn't sure what had sparked the flame, but I hadn't intended on it being such a large flame.

_I guess… my resolve to protect those close to me doesn't just apply to Enma…_

Managing to bring my flame under control, I watched it shrink back and I slammed the ring into the slot on the box. With a crackle, the box opened and I surprisingly found myself holding a rapier. It felt oddly familiar, holding it. The hilt was fairly simple, but was styled in an Italian fashion (of course) and looked rather decorative, even though I knew that hilt would at least protect my hand a little. The blade itself was fairly long, around the average of a hundred centimeters (39 inches) and it looked exceptionally sharp. Testing it's weight, I found it to be quite light, but it felt…

_Perfect._

I nodded in approval. I could get used to a weapon like this. Though I had honestly expected a shield or something more aimed at defense, I _did_ know how to create shields using solid flames.

_So it's kind of like I have a shield already!_

I experimentally swung it once, enjoying the sound it made as it sailed through the air. Of course, rapiers were generally meant for thrusting strikes, but I wasn't really going to accidentally stab someone.

"You've fenced before, I see. Good, not completely hopeless then…" Verde muttered to himself, a thoughtful look on his face. I twitched, resisting the urge to swipe at him with my newly acquired before. But his statement stood out to me. Had I fenced before? I drew a blank when I tried remembering, but it really did feel like I'd held a rapier before and if I focused enough on it, I felt like I could probably pull off an attack.

_Would I be able to use this in combination with my flames though..? If that uhhm… Gamma, right? Yeah! If Gamma could use a pool cue and send lightning at people, I should be able to as well, right? Right._

A drop of sweat ran down my face.

_But… does this mean Verde thinks I'm a capable fighter..? Cause I've been in what… one fight?_

Before I could ponder if my doom was closing in on me, Verde motioned for all of us to follow him and we were led down into what I assumed was the 'new headquarters'. It looked better than Kokuyo, at least, I mused to myself. But it left me feeling uneasy, Byakuran's mysterious warning echoing inside of my head. I wanted to ask him about it so badly, but I had no way of reaching him, unless I found the building that they would be in during the battles. And I was barely able to make it from Namimori to Kokuyo on my own.

_And I think Hibari is looking for me… and Mukuro. I'm double dead if he sees me running around in a Kokuyo uniform! But… I want to see Chrome… _

I let out a sigh. I really didn't want these battles to happen.

_But just… how did they happen? Everything is kind of fuzzy… Vindice attacks at some point… but…_

A tug on my skirt snapped me out of my thoughts.

"I'm hungry, sis."

I blinked.

"What would you like to eat?"

He sent me what I could only consider an amused smile.

"I could really go for some pineapple right now."

I smirked.

"Gotcha. We'll have to work together to take down the legendary pineapple fairy though, so can I count on you to cover my back?"

He nodded.

"Of course."

Doggy piling Mukuro was surprisingly fun.

_I think I'll convince someone to take me to Namimori tomorrow… and I'll see if I can find Chrome or Byakuran… yeah._

* * *

_Mukuro watched the Arcobaleno with mild interest. A proposition, he had said. Mukuro wasn't one to usually accept such things, but he could gain from this._

_**Not only will I have a chance to take over Sawada's body… but also…**_

"_I will join your _team_ on one condition, arcobaleno."_

_Verde nodded eagerly, though uncertain of what Mukuro would demand._

"_I know someone of the spiritual… kind. At the moment, she lacks a physical body and as such I provided her with one using my illusions. Get her a physical body, and I will join you."_

_Verde looked rather surprised, no doubt wondering why Mukuro would want to 'help' anyone, but nodded after some thought._

"_When my invention is complete, you will be able to give her a body yourself."_

"_Excellent."_

* * *

Mukuro sighed, shoving his bratty apprentice and Tomo off of his back with little care. They let out groans of protest, but he proceeded to ignore them. They were fine, after all. And he had more than heard their little discussion from earlier, an eyebrow of his twitching in annoyance.

_Letting those two meet was a bad idea… Why did I allow myself to be convinced by Tomo that it wasn't? _

But as he watched Tomo, an annoyed scowl on his lips, he found himself feeling oddly at peace, and as she chased Fran dramatically around the room, he found it hard not to smile.

_Tomo would make a good mother-_

He froze.

He did not just think that.

… _I think I'm going to go mess with that Skylark._

* * *

But neither Mukuro's nor Tomo's plans would unfold the way they wanted them to.

As Verde tinkered with one of his inventions as per usual that evening, he beckoned Tomo over, who had been discussing something with Fran softly, never once looking away from his work.

"I am told you've used your flames before."

She nodded.

"I went into Hyper Dying Will Mode once before, that was the first time I ever used them."

Verde's eyes widened.

"You went into Hyper Dying Will Mode and you can stand?! When was this?!"

"Uhh… about a week ago or something..?"

A mysterious glint shimmered in Verde's eyes.

_Fascinating! Considering the strain the Hyper Dying Will Mode puts on the body… for her to have recovered so quickly..! This demands more research!_

Ignoring her protests, Verde ushered the girl into a separate room.

"Woah, I am _not _getting into that thing!"

* * *

Fran frowned, a feeling of dread filling his body. He wasn't sure why the baby had kidnapped Tomo, but he didn't like it one bit. His frown deepened.

_He told me to stay out of that room…_

The lord of pineapples walked into the room, coming to a stop next to Fran.

"The baby kidnapped sis. I think he wants to elope with her."

He did his best not to smirk with amusement as Mukuro looked ready to kill him.

_He definitely has the hots for sis._

As Mukuro practically tore down the door Fran pointed him too, he actually allowed a full on smirk to flutter onto his lips as he quietly followed.

A moment later an explosion sounded out.

* * *

When Chikusa made his way towards the sound of the explosion alongside Ken, a flailing baby met up with them.

"That blasted girl blew up my machine! When the smoke cleared, she was gone along with Mukuro and that brat!"

Ken freaked out.

Chikusa's eyes widened slightly, but he remained silent.

_It'd be best if M.M didn't hear of this…_

* * *

**Ritsu: Welp, I gave you all a long chapter. Time to work on Shimon. New arc has officially begun, so don't go thinking the Arcobaleno battles arc will continue. Cause it won't for a while.**

**Gave you guys some fanservice and some hope, perhaps. Hope you enjoyed it.**

**Italic Mukuro part was a flashback. The reason why Verde says Tomo has fenced before is because he could tell from the way she held the rapier, which I never specified. But yeah.**


	5. Varia Quality

**Ritsu: Hey~o! Last chapter was apparently appreciated… XD Good, good! Someone said I should make a Tomo/Chikusa AU. The Spirit of the Beanie? Huh… XD For now, let's focus on current events! A character I adore will be getting some proper attention this chapter. And no, I'm not talking about Fran or Mukuro. I love them too, but they will be getting attention regardless, so. **

… **Just read it XD**

**Expect a Shimon update in a few hours (hopefully).**

**P.S I have a total of 19 reviews on chapter three. Wow. O.o**

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**Reviews!**

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**nanahikari2000: Yeeeee~! All according to plan! Jealous!Mukuro will be frequenting the chapters, it seems… He sure is! Mukuro is such a nice guy sometimes, no? XD Oh my… Mukuro pls, stop killing my reviewers! HAHAHAHAHAHA, WOAH, sure moving forward quickly, are we? Unless ofc you mean Mukuro should bang pot lids together with Tomo. Yeah. Heh… keep reading and you will see c; No problem! Fanservice is fun to write~**

**Tech-fi: … O-oh no… I keep killing you guys D: But hey! Now you and Tomo can talk about… ghost things, I guess? XD**

**Animagirl: Oh my! Glad you liked it c: Fran sure is~!**

**Nonane: Hah… XD I do like cupcakes… Does pineapple smell nice? I myself don't think I've ever smelled pineapple… XD**

**KiraLoveless: Hehe~ Of course! I update quite often after all! :D Oh dear… who knows ;D Keep reading~!**

**Evanescentfacade: Glad you do! I wanted to give her a weapon that isn't very common in fics (at least not the ones I've read)~ She will be getting a weapon in The Spirit of Shimon too, but I haven't quite decided what it should be yet.**

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**Chapter warnings: Nauwty wowds.**

* * *

I was really beginning to regret blowing up Verde's stupid machine. To be fair, when Fran and Mukuro had shown up I had jumped in surprise and accidentally sent a bolt of lightning loose, but I hadn't intended to blow anything up. It was an honest mistake!

_Verde will kill me!_

And what's more, when I came to I quickly realized something was very wrong. My view was obscured by fluffy blonde hair and I quickly realized that someone's _butt_ was making it difficult for me to breathe.

_Is this karma for blowing up one machine? A blondie straddling me with their butt?_

A moment later, a huge grin slid onto the blonde's lips and that was all I needed to know to realize just who it was and how utterly _screwed_ I was. How I'd ended up slung ten years into the future by an explosion, I didn't know, but I had next to no relationship with the _Belphegor_ of my own time, having only briefly seen him while fetching Fran, and I had no idea if the future me was on good terms with him or not.

He laughed, and I took that as a good thing.

"Ushishishi, you seem to have shrunk, little peasant."

I scowled.

"Get off."

His smile widened. Or was it a smirk? I couldn't really tell.

"No."

I twitched.

"Get. Off."

He shishishi'd again.

"No."

I attempted to move my arms, but his royal buttness was a lot heavier than he looked. Or he has just strong, but I preferred thinking he was just heavy. Made me feel better about myself.

_Mukuro, Fran, get this guy off of me!_

* * *

Mukuro twitched, a strange stinging feeling at the back of his neck. He just knew something was terribly wrong. And his idiot apprentice was _not_ helping. True, even Mukuro found Lussuria, be it his time's Lussuria or the future one, to be rather unnerving, but for Fran to cry like a child was just-

… _He _is_ a child. _

Mukuro sighed, shaking his head at the tom foolery that was going on but proceeded to drag his apprentice behind him regardless. Fran had definitely become spoiled in the very short time he'd known Tomo. He was stuck to her like glue, for crying out loud! And now he had spent what? Five minutes away from her and he was crying- granted Lussuria's insistence that he should call him mama probably had something to do with it- like he wouldn't survive without her. Mukuro didn't like following a Varia assassin around, but it was quite clear that they had little choice.

… _They're both getting grounded when I find Tomo._

"We're almost there~ Hopefully To-chan will be at headquarters~ Really! We had been expecting your older selves. Though young Fran is a lot cuter than ours~"

Fran shuddered, proceeding to cry harder.

Mukuro sighed.

He found himself hoping Tomo was having a better time.

* * *

If you've ever had one of those friends that think they're better than everyone else, well, imagine that times a million and you'll have Bel. When he finally got off of me, I was then tasked with the job of carrying him back to the Varia headquarters.

He wanted _me_ to carry _him_.

So I ditched him in the woods and ran, only to find myself being crushed under his weight again. As I spit out the dirt from my mouth that he'd sent me headfirst into, I scowled. Just what had I done to deserve this sort of karma? On one hand I was relieved Fran was safe from the prince as Bel didn't mind messing with me, but seemed to at least not want to kill me – _yet _– whereas I knew he'd go after Fran without hesitation.

But death felt like a nicer option at the moment as I felt my back slowly crumble and my arms went numb from holding up the royal piece of ass that was casually twirling a knife, as if threatening me silently not to drop him. His elbows were digging into my shoulders, but even though I complained he ignored me, of course. Piggy backing royalty was not as great as people made it out to be.

_I swear to God… If we're not there soon I will drop him!_

A laugh brought me out of my thoughts. While it sounded identical to a certain prince's, the pitch was much higher. As a white furry _mink_ stuck his head down in my face, I stumbled in surprise, almost letting out a scream. While Bel sounded disgruntled I had almost dropped him, he quickly went back to his happy go lucky attitude of sunshine and laughed in amusement. His mink joined in.

_Great. Even an animal is laughing at me now._

I sniffed, resisting the urge to sob. Never again was I getting anywhere remotely close to Bel again. At least Hibari hit so hard I'd get knocked out fairly quickly. Bel knew how to drag things out. Stupid prince.

_ARE WE THERE YET?!_

* * *

Fran blinked, staring out the nearby window.

"… I think sis is in trouble…"

Mukuro scowled, clearly annoyed with the situation. She hadn't been at the headquarters.

"Hmm… the only one not here is Bel… If you're lucky he's found her~!"

Fran went pale.

_Wasn't one of the tooth decay fungi called Bel..?_

Mukuro's aura went dark.

"I'm leaving."

The door slammed open.

Tomo collapsed on the ground, groaning as the assassin on top of her stepped over her without a care in the world. Bel wasted no time sending an array of knives towards Fran, a furious grin on his face.

"Your face pisses me off, you damn frog!"

Mukuro deflected the knives with little trouble, sending Tomo a hard stare. She raised her head up slowly, her eyes moist and glassy. She looked ready to cry.

"Oh my! Bel, what did you force poor To-chan to do?" Lussuria exclaimed, a scolding tone to his voice. Bel ignored him, a frown slipping onto his lips. As he readied another set of knives, he was just about to send them off when there was a bright flash behind him and he threw himself to the right, narrowly avoiding the rapier that pierced the air where he had just been.

Fran's eyes sparkled in amazement.

Mukuro twitched.

* * *

My face went white. I had been acting on instinct, wanting to stop Bel from being such a prick and to, you know, protect Fran (because let's face it Mukuro didn't look like he'd bother for much longer), but when I realized I had just _attacked_ him, I knew I was _beyond_ screwed. But it was a bit too late to take it back, so I just awkwardly shuffled a bit to the side, lowering my rapier. Something scared me more than having attacked a Varia assassin, however.

I had been acting on instinct, but my strike had been a lot more accurate than a mere instinctual strike should have been. It had been on point, and my thrust would have stabbed straight through Bel's head if he hadn't moved.

A part of me was glad he did.

_I'm not some naturally gifted assassin, so just why did I… know how to strike like that..?!_

Had I really done fencing before I died? I couldn't remember, but I seemed to have the muscle memory intact. Oh, and Bel was bleeding.

I blanched.

I'd made a small cut on his cheek, and he had realized this, laughed hysterically and looked ready to kill me five times over.

So I did what every _true_ lightning user would do. I ran away screaming, ducking for cover behind Mukuro. A moment later we were in another room, Mukuro no doubt up to his illusionary ways. I could hear Bel yelling in the distance and a loud 'voooi' rang out clearly.

… _I think I just ruined everyone's day…_

But as Fran tackled me, whining about how some scary rooster had tried to kidnap him and how Mukuro did nothing, I found myself not really caring.

Letting out a sigh, I shook my head.

"I should have just gone into the damn machine."

Mukuro twitched.

"Yes. Yes you should have."

* * *

**Ritsu: Shorter than the last chapter, but hey, it's comical, right? ... Right? Next one will be longer~ So, some notes about this chapter.**

**I adore Bel. I love him to pieces. But he's a butt. And I wanted to make that very obvious here. So yeah. Bel and Tomo won't be bff's. They kind of can't anyway, since Tomo is so protective of Fran. And TYL… because TYL Bel is hot and TYL Squalo is hot and TYL Xanxus is hot and- you get what I mean. … TYL Fran is hot too, but… he won't appear till later on in the story. Yes, Tomo will meet TYL Fran eventually. Don't worry.**

**Yeup. Tomo actually attacked Bel. A Varia Assassin. I made her do that. Yeup. I wanted to establish that while Tomo will obviously not suddenly be a great super saiyan fighter, she knows what she's doing. Or, well, her muscles do, anyway. **

**Besides, don't they say protective mothers (Granted Tomo's not his actual mom, but you get me) can do incredible things to protect their kids? **

**So ye. Don't expect Tomo to be beating the crap out of super strong assassins all the time. I also wanted to make some fun of Bel and his blood hysteria. Pffft. Imagine the Varia eating breakfast one morning and Bel accidentally cuts himself on a napkin or something, goes hysteric and trashes the room while the others just watch and go "Not again…".**

**Cough.**

**Oh, and Lussuria's nickname for Tomo, To-chan, is a pun for Tou-chan/san and so on forth, which is one way of saying dad (if I am not mistaken..). Basically, Luss is y'know, Mama Luss, and Tomo is... Daddy To-chan. Yep. I went there.**

**Now then.**

**WHO WANTS TOMO TO MEET TYL!BYAKKUN? RAISE YOUR HANDS!**


	6. Valentine Special 2015

**Ritsu: Reviews will be answered in the normal chapter as per usual. Enjoy this pure fanservice/comedy chapter which is basically just a bunch of shorts. **

**So yeah, if I remember I might make a White day special featuring the boys' POVs as they give Tomo chocolates. Yeup.**

**If you don't want to read them all, just jump down to whatever guy you wish to read about. I'll be putting their name above their short. **

**This will include the Kokuyo gang's boys, Byakuran and the Varia boys. The special in TSOS include the Shimon boys, Reborn and the Vongola boys. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_Ken_

* * *

He stared at me as if I had something contagious.

"What the hell is this crap, byon?"

I twitched.

"Chocolates. Those are chocolates. You know, the stuff you eat?"

Ken twitched.

"Why the hell are they in a dog bowl saying 'Fido'?!"

"… Oh, you mean you're not an actual dog?"

I couldn't stop laughing as I ran away.

What made it even funnier was how I caught him actually eating the chocolates later.

* * *

_Chikusa_

* * *

I had never seen as much emotion on Chikusa's face before. But the moment I handed him the chocolates I'd made his cheeks had gone pink and he seemed to nervously adjust his glasses.

"…"

I stared owlishly as he turned around and hobbled away awkwardly, clutching the chocolates as if he never wanted to let them go.

"… Uhh… you're welcome…" I mumbled, confusion evident in my voice.

I thought I heard a soft 'thank you' before he left the room.

* * *

_Fran_

* * *

"Here you go, Fran," I spoke happily, handing him a larger box than my other ones, since he _was_ the ever adorable Fran, after all. His eyes lit up in wonder as he opened the box to see the small apple shaped chocolates.

"They're filled with pineapple filling, of course," I told him with a grin, receiving an amused smirk in return.

"Is this a gift of love, sis?"

I nodded.

"Well, of course~"

"So you'll be marrying me when I'm older right?"

Without really thinking, I nodded.

"Wow, Master must be so jealous of me. This is awesome."

I blinked.

_Oh crap, I might have given Mukuro even more reasons to dislike Fran… How am I going to bring up the adoption now?!_

* * *

_Levi_

* * *

"… So, I didn't really want to give you chocolates, because you creep me out… but since everyone else is getting chocolates and I had a few leftovers, here you go."

"…"

I left him sobbing on the floor.

* * *

_Squalo_

* * *

"VOOOI, WHY THE HELL ARE THEY SHAPED LIKE SHARKS?!"

After my sense of hearing returned, I gingerly rubbed the back of my head where he'd hit me.

"Well, you like sharks, right?"

He looked furious and attempted to cut me in half.

"Alright! I'm sorry! I didn't know you considered yourself one of them! Sorry I tried to turn you into a cannibal! Don't kill meeee-!"

His older self was so much nicer, I found myself thinking as I deflected another slash.

_Definitely…_

* * *

_Lussuria..?_

* * *

"Mama Luss?" I called out, entering the kitchen. Said man rushed towards me with a delighted look on his face.

"My, To-chan! You rarely visit! What brings you here today?"

I smiled, giving him a hug. I was getting far too used to going around hugging assassins, but hey, it was pretty cool.

"Well, it's Valentine's day today! So I came by to give everyone chocolates!" I told him happily as he giggled in delight. _Okay, still not used to that…_

"My~ You didn't have to~!"

"But I wanted to~!"

As I handed him his chocolates, I soon found myself frowning.

"So it _is_ true you and Bel are getting married~ I'm so excited!"

"**I'm going to kill that wannabe prince."**

* * *

_Mammon..?_

* * *

"Here you go, Mammon."

"… Chocolates does not count towards repaying your debt."

"… Well… they cost like… a few hundred yen to make..?"

"…"

I was chased off by an icky illusion of what I assumed was a debt collector.

Only, he was naked.

* * *

_Belphegor_

* * *

Parrying another flurry of knives, I thrust my rapier forward, attempting to nick the royal prince. Sadly, he dodged out of the way and merely laughed at me, pulling at his strings.

I frowned with disapproval as most of my skirt was torn to shreds.

_Mukuro's gonna flip…_

"… Do you want chocolates or not?" I forced out, trying not to glare at him too darkly. Instead of saying yes like a normal person, he threw his hand out, palm open.

"It's a crime not to give the prince chocolates."

As I nailed him in the face with the chocolates, I skipped out of the room (remembering to cut down the strings on the way) happily.

Boy was he going to be pissed when he noticed the chocolates looked just like his brother's face.

* * *

_Xanxus_

* * *

"…"

I left the chocolate on his desk quietly, leaving before he actually woke up from his nap.

When Xanxus did wake up, he noticed the small box on his desk, and instead of destroying it like he planned, he casually tossed a chocolate into his mouth.

It was filled with pure vodka.

"Hmph."

But as I watched him from a tiny crack in the door, I noticed he smirked.

_Success!_

* * *

_Adult Fran [Bonus]_

* * *

"Sis, are we getting married now?"

There wasn't even a bazooka nearby (that I knew of), and yet I found myself facing the older Fran. I honestly tried not to swoon, but the moment he sent me a teasing smirk I felt my cheeks heat up and I avoided his gaze.

"U-uhhm…"

He grasped my hands, staring at me intently.

"Before Master finds out."

"I… Do you want some chocolates..?"

I felt somewhat relieved when he seemed to be distracted successfully, letting go of my hands to grab a box of chocolates.

A moment later there was an explosion and pink smoke surrounded his form.

My face went white when I realized adult Fran had taken the box I had intended for Mukuro.

… _Yep, Mukuro is never going to even consider signing those papers._

* * *

_Byakuran_

* * *

I caught a white feather, smiling up at the sky. I'd gotten lucky it seemed, having expected I'd end up looking all over Namimori for Byakuran.

"Momo-chan~!"

"Hello! I was looking for you!"

As he landed next to me (for some reason he seemed to always be flying around me…) I handed him the chocolates (which were actually just chocolate covered marshmallows) with a smile on my face.

"I hope you like them!"

"I'm sure I will~!"

A part of me worried he would drown me in chocolates on White day, but seeing him smiling at me happily left me feeling quite content. And I did enjoy chocolates, and last time Mukuro had promised to get me sweets, they turned out to be illusions.

_Besides… drowning in chocolate doesn't sound all that bad. I could probably just eat my way up._

"I'll take you out on a date on White day, okay~?"

Perhaps I wasn't getting drowned in chocolates after all.

"… Can we fly there?"

His smile told me all I needed to know.

* * *

_Mukuro_

* * *

"… I hear you've been handing out chocolates."

I nodded awkwardly.

"Yeah…"

Mukuro sent me a long hard stare.

_Yep, he's sulking 'cause I haven't given him any… but… Adult Fran took those…_

"I… was going to give you chocolates too but uhhmm…"

I swiftly avoided his trident as he stabbed at me, though it hardly had any force behind it. Mukuro just wasn't trying very much anymore, which I was quite grateful for, even if he usually just took it out on someone else…

_I can't tell him about… Fran…_

"I… I could make you some right now..?"

With a nod, Mukuro agreed.

However, Mukuro's way of doing things consisted of invading my personal space by hovering by my shoulders. Moments later I felt a breeze and Mukuro's arms circled my waist.

"… Mukuro, if you don't undo that illusion right now, I'm going to seriously hurt you."

Mukuro merely sent me a smug look, leaning his chin on my shoulder.

"Think of it as compensation."

I frowned, feeling rather chilly from the cold breeze as the apron I was wearing fluttered dangerously.

"I'm serious Mukuro! I am not fulfilling your stupid fetish of wearing nothing but an apron while cooking!"

* * *

**Ritsu: Yep. I went there.**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it!**


	7. White Feathers

**Ritsu: I saw some raised hands. Alright. Expect TYL!Byakkun in coming chapters. I mean, I **_**was**_** going to add him regardless… but he'll get some more screen time now~**

**BE PROUD!**

* * *

**Reminder that you may suggest box animals for Tomo and a reason why for a chance to win a one shot and getting your animal picked~**

* * *

**P.S Don't think I ever mentioned this, but Tomo is ambidextrous.**

* * *

**Reviews!**

**Tech-fi: Suggesting his precious Tomo is a daddy… XD **

**WinterStormArt: Gotcha! :D **

**nanahikari2000: Yush! XD Bel is a favorite of mine, but ofc he's not the nicest of people… Oh I'm itching to get to the point where I shed more light on their relationship! It's gonna be good! "I saw her first, Bel-senpai." "I'm a prince!" Glad you like the weapon! Considering it seems pretty difficult to fight with against non-Rapier wielders I thought it'd be interesting, but also because I've yet to find a fic using a Rapier weapon! O: Trident indeed. Onedent. Yep. No worries on the animal front XD I'm looking forward for what it might turn out to be myself! Yus c: I try *bows* The swooninator. Yeeeah :') **

**(Valentine chappie): Bwahahahaha~ You may have a moment XD Well… I couldn't resist… And Mukuro does strike me as a perv. I could totes see him watching people sleep and stuff. Squa-chan is best shark (Yeah, I went there. Come at me Rin. CoughSqualocanbeatyouanydaycough.)**

**CallMeCrazy4You: Ohohoh! I'm glad you like the pun and the dynamics! Writing Tomo and Fran is very fun c: And that too, yes! D: Tomo is the ultimate babysitter… XD Yus! She embodies her weather quite a lot! You might ;D Thank you very much! :D**

**Serinny: Papapple. That is the best word I've ever heard omfg. "Fran, listen to your papapple." Heh, fear the papapple!**

**Not-Gonna-Update: Yush! To the future with them! He was? Good (Yes. Yes he was XD) Ye! Go sword skills! No problem!**

**KiraLoveless: The most royal of all butts. (Ikr? Kid Fran is pretty much defenseless too!). I mean… I love Bel but his butt should stay away from me. He can go wild on those that want him to, tho XD**

**My Name is Alice: IKR?! Good. XD I'm fairly protective of my cats, myself. Psssh… I'm a master at getting paper cuts, and I doubt Bel is immune to them! Daddy To-chan indeed! ;D **

**Evanescentfacade: Glad you do c: It's a difficult weapon to fight others with unless they wield a rapier as well, when it comes to blocking and parrying, but there would be no fun in making things easy! C:**

**CriAzuDre: Haha :'D This made me chuckle~**

**ChocolateWolfey: Tomo pls. XD Remember what happened with Daemon! Bel might be a bit more reasonable, but only a little bit! XD She lives on the edge alright!**

**(Valentine chappie): He sure is XD I'll do my best to remember about White day! I do have a wonderful idea in mind and all… so XD Look forward to it (assuming I remember…)!**

**MiharuOftheWhiteSea: Ok! For the pie, I shall make it happen (… I don't even like pie much though, but still! XD)!**

**Candra-ThePhantomAuthor: XD Oh my! Moar wings indeed! Well, the Byakuran Tsuna defeated had wings till Tsuna tore them off… XD But this will be the nice Byakkun! So wait and see ;D**

**BloodyBel: YEAH! So glad there was TYL. So good. Same, with Fran in a close second XD **

**turtlehoffmann2251: RAISE THE ROOF!**

**animagirl: He's not everyone's cup of tea indeed c: The royal butt. Hmm… I'll think about it, since I do enjoy Ouran quite a lot… c:**

* * *

**Chapter warnings: Varia. They have potty mouths. You've been warned.**

* * *

If there had been any part of me that I could actually move without feeling immense pain, I would have used it to slap Squalo into next week. While I initially sympathized with him as my little fight with Bel had sent the blonde on a rampage that trashed half the building, the way he was screaming his head off had dulled whatever feelings I felt before.

There was a limit to my patience and Squalo… Squalo was way past the line.

"**VRRRROOOOOOOOOIIIIIIIII!** What the hell were you thinking, you shitty brat?!"

_I'm older than you in my time and the future me is older than you. I am __**not**__ a brat!_

But what came out of my mouth was more like:

"… I wasn't thinking."

"THAT'S PRETTY FUCKING CLEAR YOU IDIOT!"

I tried not to snicker when Mukuro stabbed a hole through the wall where Squalo had been standing. I failed miserably, however, and ended up groaning because laughing hurt quite a lot. Sadly, Fran was dragged off by Lussuria, and while I tried to convince Mukuro it was a bad idea, he just let out a chuckle and his eyes got this dark look in them. I think his sadist side was acting up. Squalo ignored me and started waving his sword around in rage, throwing curses at Mukuro who swiftly threw them straight back. It was fairly amusing, but every time I laughed I ended up in pain.

The reason why I was hurting? Well, Bel didn't just go after the furniture. He had a target in mind and I happened to be that target. I'd avoided most of his knives and only received minor cuts, and the one time I was about to behead myself on a wire Mukuro had swiftly dragged me back. However, when Squalo had gotten ahold of me he'd pretty much smashed me through a wall.

Yeah.

Levi softened my fall though, which was always something, but my body felt incredibly sore ever since then. And Squalo was not helping with his yelling.

"Squalo-san…" I spoke, attempting to catch his attention.

… I failed.

"…Squalo-san."

Mukuro and Squalo looked ready to fight one another.

"Squalo."

I twitched, resisting the urge to groan. Where was Fran and Lussuria when they were needed?

_Well… Fran is probably being scarred by… mama Luss…_

I inhaled, and before I had the common sense to stop myself, I yelled.

"SQUALO, I'M GOING TO STAB YOU IF YOU DON'T SHUT UP!"

Squalo twitched, turning away from Mukuro glance at me.

"Like you could even fuckin' hit me, you little shit."

I raised an eyebrow slowly.

"That a challenge?"

This time the shark smirked.

"Damn straight it is."

But before the two of us could start fighting (I was definitely hanging around Mukuro far too much) the door to the room opened and my _favorite_ Varia member stepped through with a large grin.

… _Does that grin mean he still wants to kill me or..?_

It really bothered me I couldn't see his eyes. Sure, it made him seem mysterious and cool, though I'd never admit that out loud, but it frustrated me that I wasn't able to tell if he was looking at me or not. As he stepped closer however, I noticed that Mukuro seemed to step in front of me, though it was barely noticeable.

… _Weird._

Bel raised his hands in mock surrender, letting out a chuckle.

"There's a… _visitor_ for the little peasant," he stated, completely ignoring the way I scowled at him. I wasn't expecting to be revered as a princess or anything, but did he have to call me a peasant? I had a name! What he said confused me though. Why would I have a visitor? Even if the future me had intended to go to the Varia headquarters, why would she go there to meet someone not… Varia?

"Who… is it exactly?" I asked, trying to ignore the way Belphegor's grin seemed to widen as I acknowledged him. Stupid royal butt. But he didn't answer my question, shrugging.

"You'll just have to look for yourself," he began, letting out a chuckle. "… Assuming you can even get to the door, that is."

I frowned, crossing my arms. Then I winced as my body protested. Belphegor merely grinned.

"…"

Staaaaare.

"… No."

"B-but Mukuro!"

"Your visitor, your problem."

Mukuro left the room.

"…"

Staaaaaarrrrre.

"No."

"But Squalo!"

Squalo promptly took a page out of Mukuro's book and left too.

_I thought you were kinda on my side! Stupid shark!_

"Shishishi~"

Throwing myself off of the bed, ignoring my sore joints, I began crawling out of the room, ignoring the way Belphegor was happily skipping next to me, no doubt amused. When his mink landed on my back to hitch a free ride, I groaned.

_If I survive this… I'm going to shave him bald when he sleeps!_

* * *

Byakuran found it hard not to frown when he spotted the much younger Tomo. Not because she looked worn out, it was a look he often found her wearing nowadays, after all. But a feeling of nostalgia hit him, and he felt strange. Upon seeing her younger self, the guilt in his heart seemed to ease a little.

"Momo-chan~ You're so small!"

She blinked before sending Byakuran a pout.

"We can't all be tall…"

Byakuran let out a soft chuckle. He'd definitely missed her sarcasm.

"Yuni-chan was right, it seems. She told me you would be here, though, I admit I didn't expect the past you~"

"… I wasn't really expecting to go to the future either, haha…"

Helping Tomo to sit up, as she'd been sprawled messily on the floor after a trip down the stairs (He had to admit it slightly miffed him nobody had offered to help her), Byakuran sat down on the lower steps of the staircase next to her. She looked like she wanted to ask him something, but she remained quiet, awkwardly fidgeting with her hands before a familiar box animal settled down in her lap. For one reason or the other, its owner was nowhere to be seen.

Tomo managed a small smile as she pet the small mink in her lap, which sent Byakuran a rather smug look.

… _Even animals are mocking me now? Because this is the closest I'll ever be to her? _

He wanted to laugh.

Or cry.

Perhaps both.

But he did neither.

"Momo-chan?"

"… Why did you tell me not to fight the Vindice?"

His heart clenched painfully. Unwanted memories surged into his mind upon the mention of Vindice and his smile fell. If Tomo noticed the way he tensed up, she didn't mention it.

"Because…" he trailed off, unsure of what to say. How was he supposed to tell her? Of course, if he did, wouldn't she stand a chance of changing her future? But it was so hard for him to say it out loud. He feared the guilt would only grow until it drowned him. Tomo was silent, prompting him to continue with her pleading eyes. Byakuran's lips tugged into a sad smile and his eyes softened.

"Because if you do, your left leg will receive permanent damage to the point where you can hardly walk on it."

Tomo stared at him, her mouth open in shock and her eyes wide. He found that it was too hard for him to meet her gaze, so he settled with staring at his own two feet.

"Even the Varia was devastated, you know," he continued, his mouth moving of its own accord. Tomo exhaled slowly, listening to his words.

"Especially Squa-chan and Bel-kun."

"… Huh?"

Her confusion was evident. Byakuran managed a small smile.

"Well… they both mentored you, after all. But I suppose you didn't know that, did you?"

She shook her head.

"Squa-chan helped you improve your fencing quite a bit, and I think that… he felt quite guilty, thinking he was at fault for not making you stronger."

"… And… Belphegor?"

"He was the one who helped you train your box animal. Mukuro-kun planned to, but he lacked the time."

"But… the battle is only a few days away in my time… It's not possible for me to get training…"

Byakuran placed a hand on her head, ruffling her hair.

"A few days… is sometimes all you need."

_But it wasn't enough back then… _

A hand on his cheek snapped him out of his thoughts. Tomo looked at him with a concerned expression on her face, calling his name softly. Byakuran tried to muster up a smile, but it ended up looking more like a grimace.

"You should go see Mukuro, while you're here in the future. I think he'd appreciate it," he managed to force out after a moment, cringing at how bitter it had sounded to his own ears. Tomo frowned, before sighing.

"Mukuro from my time and Fran from my time came with me, so that's not possible. Besides… I… now that I've been given some extra time… I want to grow stronger. If... If I grow stronger… I might be able to change my future- No, I _know_ I can!"

Byakuran found her determined smile infectious, and a smile of his own slipped onto his lips. The Tomo full of fighting spirit and determination was back. Oh how he had missed her.

"I'll help too, then. Though I doubt you've received your box animal yet, so we can't do much there…" he spoke after a moment, nodding to himself. He didn't actually know how Tomo had gotten her box animal, after all. Tomo nodded enthusiastically, her eyes lighting up.

"But Tomo… Promise me you'll try to avoid the Vindice, please?" he told her softly, his voice filled with concern, regret and guilt. She noticed, as she usually would, and nodded solemnly.

"I promise. After all, I've already promised you once not to fight them. But… I have to grow stronger, not just because of the Vindice… but because I want to. I want to be able to protect the people I care about and… I'm tired of being so… weak."

"The weak have wisdom, Momo-chan."

"Some battles can't be won with wisdom alone, though."

"Just accept the compliment, Momo-chan!"

"… Alright fine, thanks…"

"You're welcome. Now let's get going before Mukuro-kun starts thinking you've been kidnapped~"

When she suddenly threw herself at him, hugging him tightly, mumbling her thanks once more, Byakuran found himself stunned. A moment later he felt his cheeks heat up.

And when that pest of a mink started hissing, he casually and sneakily pushed it down the stairs, watching it skitter off to tell on him no doubt.

… _Mukuro, be it the past you or the you of this time… if you don't treat her right… I won't hesitate to hurt you._

That, was a promise.

* * *

**Ritsu: Welp, you know what this means? Lots of Squalo and Byakkun. And of course, Mukuro and Fran. Bel… well, he'll be his royal pain in the butt self and swing by sometimes but till Tomo gets her box animal he won't be that major of a character. **

**Oh, any chapter delays are blamed wholeheartedly on the fact that Majora's Mask 3D came out and I've invested my time in that. Good news is I'm almost done with the main story of the game! Anyways, expect a Shimon update later tonight most likely!**

**More future Tomo news! Woo!**


	8. To Fence Or Not To Fence

**Ritsu: Aaaaah. Go check out my profile, and underneath the link to my Tomo art (beneath TSOS) you'll find a link to the very first fanart I've recieved. It was drawn by the lovely fuonhicali, who sent it to me in a review on the latest chapter of TSOS. It's aimed towards Shimon, but you guys should totally check it out too! **

**If you don't-**

**No. Bad Ritsu. No threats.**

**By the by, chapter is late because I've been sick. Still am, but I'm a lot better now, so I can stay up till 6AM as usual to write. But shh, that's our secret. TSOS chapter should be up in a few hours!**

* * *

**Reviews!**

* * *

**nanahikari2000: XD Oh my… I can't say I have yet… I mean, there is a reasonable reason (ppffft) since Mukuro doesn't strike many as the caring kind of guy… but I do feel for him. Doesn't mean he gets it easy, but hey, that's what this arc is for! Assuming Fran doesn't roosterblock him. And this chapter should sort of strengthen the kind of bond I want Tomo and Squalo to have (but I promise that it's nothing romantic! XD)! Hopefully you will be happy! Shark guidance. Best guidance. "Anytime you feel like it, just yell VOI for no reason." "Oh, okay. Hey Mukuro! Can I VOI you?" "…" Coughcough. As for the future… hehehehe… ;D**

**My Name is Alice: I occasionally find myself doubting the time myself. Though usually I find that the clock is correct and that I'm just more of an owl than Mukurou. Sigh. Greece… I'd love to go there someday o: Hopefully it's warmer than winter here… bleh XD **

**I myself prefer the cold over heat for two major reasons. I can snuggle up in a blanket if it gets too cold and the cold doesn't give me sunburns. I burn so easily! Byakkun pls. Take your time XD I mean… when I began writing this story I hadn't even considered giving Tomo a weapon, but things just happened… XD (SHHH! DON'T LET MUKURO KNOW ABOUT FRAN'S PLAN OF ELOPING! ;D)**

**anima: Glad you do! :D Enjoy this chapter!**

**WinterStormArt: XD I initially planned on having him kick Mink away, but because I thought it'd be kind of obvious to Tomo (and while Mink is a butt to her, she finds 'im kinda cute) and because I worried people would be mad with me for abusing poor lil' Mink XD**

**turtlehowwmann2251: WOO!**

**KiraLoveless: (Let's hope it doesn't turn into an octagon by the time we reach the end…) You… might want to buckle up, yes. Angst tend to slip in without me even realizing it… But I do promise lots of fluff and stuff too!**

* * *

**Chapter warnings: Squalo's potty mouth. My poor attempt at a fighting scene…**

* * *

I was sure my knees would just buckle and I'd end up in a heap on the floor any second now. Moments before I hadn't found Squalo nearly as intimidating, but the moment I had asked him if he would train me, he'd gotten this serious look in his eyes, but there was something else too.

"_Squa-chan helped you improve your fencing quite a bit, and I think that… he felt quite guilty, thinking he was at fault for not making you stronger."_

I frowned, recalling Byakuran's words. Right. The future Squalo was apparently feeling responsible for the injury future me had suffered. While I felt a bit bad, asking him to train me as it was sure to bring up bad memories, I knew that precisely because he would want to change the past (my future) chances were he would train me. And while my time's Squalo was strong, this Squalo was the Sword Emperor. Moreover, this Squalo struck me as a lot nicer and calmer than his past self. Well, what I remembered of his past self anyway.

"No."

I flinched at the tone of his voice, but I persisted. I had expected initial refusal.

"Squalo, please! My rapier is the only weapon I have and I-"

He interrupted me, and I could tell he was having a hard time not snapping at me.

"I said no."

I frowned, clenching my fists.

"Squalo… Whether you train me or not, I'll be participating in the battle…" I started, trailing off at the end. "As I am now, I don't even stand a chance! I know that-! I… I know that it's not fair to ask you… but… you're the only one…"

_Right now you're the only one I want to be trained by…_

"… Byakuran told you. Fuckin' Gesso trash…"

I raised my eyebrow, but decided not to ask Squalo why Byakuran was even allowed inside if he was so disliked. With the alternate future that had transpired in the past, I assumed they had their reasons.

"… You don't deny it…" I mumbled after a moment, trying to stop myself from grinning. Squalo sent me a glare, but it wasn't especially hostile, more of an annoyed one.

"Get your ass to the training room, shitty brat!"

I saluted him with enthusiasm.

"Yes, Squalo-sensei!"

Before he had a chance to stick his sword in me, I took off in the direction I assumed was the training room. I was probably wrong, but maybe I'd stumble across someone who knew the way.

* * *

Squalo shook his head, letting a small smile flutter across his lips.

_Cheeky brat. _

She hadn't referred to him as sensei for nearly seven years now, but it still felt oddly right. Squalo decided he preferred the younger Tomo over her older self. Her older self was either gloomy or acting incredibly childish to hide the former. Seeing the young Tomo with her genuine emotions, with her maturity (though Squalo doubted she realized she acted more grown up than her older self) and determined will was a breath of fresh air.

Sure, Squalo had nothing against the present Tomo, but she was a different person. After her injury, she just wasn't the same and merely being in the same room as her made him feel drained and empty. He was riddled with guilt as it was, but being near her was even worse. She never opened up to him anymore, never sparred and she never smiled genuine smiles anymore. It was stifling.

Sure, she used to be bratty and annoying, but much like how Yamamoto had been annoying with his obliviousness (Which Squalo had eventually found out was nothing but an act) and his initial inability to actually kill someone, she was annoying in a good way.

_How the fuck did she end up with Mukuro anyway?_

Something Squalo had often debated, was her choice of a lover. Especially when the present her seemed to barely even acknowledge the illusionist anymore. True, she was still mourning the injury of her leg, but Squalo himself knew Mukuro had no doubt offered assistance to at least use illusions to fic her leg, and yet she refused. As if she was punishing herself for something, but instead she was subconsciously punishing everyone around her too.

But why on earth had she picked Mukuro? Hell, even the Kozato brat seemed a more sensible choice. And if Squalo was to be honest, he thought his two students were the most compatible with each other. Not that he'd ever admit such a thing. And it wasn't because he was a doting mentor either! Honest!

_And why the hell did Mukuro drag her into the battle?! If he cares about her, he sure has a weird fucking way of showing it!_

The shark let out a sigh.

It was risky, meddling with the past, but if he could make Tomo strong enough then perhaps something would change. Perhaps he wouldn't dread his meetings with his former student and maybe just maybe, there'd be someone else at headquarters every once in a while that his boss could throw wineglasses at.

God knew his hair needed it.

* * *

It was a bit unnerving, knowing that in mere minutes I'd be sparring with _the_ Squalo. I could only pray that my reflexes (which had been honed from dodging Mukuro's trident and Ken's teeth) would be enough to avoid getting decapitated.

I also hadn't seen Mukuro or Fran for quite some time, and I had to admit I was worried they'd gotten in trouble or something. Like Xanxus's liger eating them. That'd be bad. But I shook my head to rid it of thoughts, focusing on the silver haired man in front of me. Byakuran was off to the side, observing (which seemed to displease Squalo a lot, but he hadn't said anything about it), but I promptly tuned him out too.

Squalo hadn't switched out his sword for a rapier, which left me a bit worried, but at the same time I realized that I would most likely not come across many fencers, so learning how to battle someone with another weapon was crucial. I at the very least hoped he'd give me some basic tips on fencing moves.

"I won't teach you the basics of fencing."

I blanched.

_So much for that hope…_

Squalo smirked, and I wondered if he was mocking me.

"You already know the basics, you just need the initiative to remember."

And with that, Squalo attacked without hesitation. My eyes widened before I realized that if I didn't move, I'd get impaled on his sword. I threw myself to the side, using my hands to cartwheel myself back onto my feet, before I brought out my box, opening it quickly. I truly hoped my rapier was sturdier than a normal one, and if not I knew that using my lightning flames I could probably compensate, because I knew Squalo could easily break my weapon in two with his strength. It was obvious he was going easy on me (to some extent) as he'd waited for me to bring out my weapon before he attacked again.

Bracing myself from the impact, I took a quick step to the left, narrowly avoiding Squalo's sword, bringing up my rapier to stop him from striking downwards. A loud clang rang out when our weapons met and I found it hard not to flinch. Moreover, my arm felt heavy and hard to move, no doubt because of the power packed into Squalo's strike. Regardless, using what strength I could muster I kept his sword in place, albeit barely, sliding my own rapier forward in an attempt to stab Squalo. It was a dangerous move and his sword was sharp on all sides whereas the main point of damage on my own weapon was the very front, but a risk I was willing to take. If I just stood there, eventually I'd be overpowered (He could have overpowered me right away, but clearly he wasn't going all out, which I was really grateful for), and I really didn't feel like having my legs all slashed up.

My strike missed, which I had expected, as Squalo jumped backwards, putting a lot of force towards his left before our weapons separated, almost making me lose my balance. I stumbled, but remained on my feet and this time I went on the offensive, moving more on muscle memory and instinct than actual thought. Apparently I would remember the basics, and it was clear my body seemed to remember, so I figured it'd be easier to bring out the memories if I actually let my body tell me what to do.

Squalo prepared to strike, this time about to swing his sword towards me, and I realized actually hitting him had become a lot harder.

Parrying strikes with a rapier sounded easy enough in theory, but Squalo's sword wasn't a rapier and I knew I wouldn't be able to disarm him.

_If I block the swing, we'll end up at another standstill. Could I make a shield using my flames to block his swing? I doubt I could concentrate enough to make it last… so then…_

Using my height to my advantage, I swiftly ducked and Squalo's sword sailed over my head (probably taking a few strands of my hair with it. So much for the pineapple sprouts). Glancing up briefly I found his face to be one of surprise, but instead of letting it distract me I sent my rapier forward. Squalo jumped back, but I managed to nick his side, and even if I'd barely even scratched him it filled me with an ounce of pride.

But I knew taking him by surprise wouldn't be as easy anymore. Still, when Squalo sent me a smirk, I couldn't help but grin back.

But when I found myself collapsed in a heap later on, groaning in pain and trying to ignore how I was staining the floor with blood, I wanted to cry.

_You didn't have to stop going easy on me because I nicked you once! Stupid shark!_

When Squalo raised an eyebrow, staring at me with amusement, I let out a sniff.

"You're so cruel, Squalo-sensei…"

Byakuran let out a soft chuckle, seated at my side, shaking his head.

"He might have beaten you senseless, but at least halfway through you looked like a proper fencer."

I blinked.

"Oh yeah…"

I pouted.

"But I still _lost_!" I whined, ignoring the annoyed glare Squalo sent me.

"I've defeated countless fencers before. Did you really think you stood a chance, shitty brat?"

"…"

"…"

"… Hey Byakuran, if someone asks, I kicked Squalo's butt, okay?"

"Okay~"

"VOI!"

And for the first time in his life, Squalo actually used 'voi' in a grammatically correct way.

* * *

**Rinnu500: Voi is the plural of 'you' in Italian. If voi didn't know. Also, the present Tomo that TYL!Squalo refers to is of course Future!Tomo. Just to clarify.**

**Anyway! Omake time!**

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_The day Tomo met Spanner_

* * *

Spanner wasn't quite sure what to think of the woman standing in front of him. She was cute, sure, but not nearly as cute as his moscas, and she didn't really seem special at all. Considering the big deal others seemed to make about her, he really couldn't see what the fuss was about.

Well, until she pulled out the largest box of candy he'd ever seen and handed it to him.

"Here you go, Spanner-kun!"

She'd sent him a grin as he'd accepted the box, a small blush on his face.

With that amount of candy he could work undisturbed on his moscas for days! No need to go out shopping for more or bug Shouichi to buy some for him!

_A goddess of candy..?!_

Since then, he was plotting ways of getting Tomo to permanently supply him with snacks, not caring whatsoever what Mukuro thought of his idea.

_All of it is strawberry flavor…! Like she knew my favorite flavor… so the candy gods are real after all…_

Little did he know Tomo was merely a big fan of his and she had nothing to do with gods.

But she'd let him dream.

For now.


	9. What The Future Holds

**Ritsu: … So, this took longer than 2-3 days to get out, sorry… I doubt you'll want to listen to me ramble all day, so I'll just summarize the dealio. When I got out of my rut, I sat down to finish the chapters I had waiting, but I couldn't think of how to start. Writer's block, basically. I'd sit down every day trying to write and it just… didn't work. Anyway, I'm back, and I'll be cranking out my tablet this week to finish up all the drawings I'm behind on as well, so yeah. **

**Haikyuu! is also to blame. Stupid Daisuke Namikawa. Stupid, stupid Trashkawa. Dammit. And Psycho-Pass. And Akame Ga Kill. L.. Let's just say I watch a lot of anime when I'm down.**

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**Anyways, reviews!**

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**BloodyBel: Thank you! Here it is, finally!**

**Guest: Thank you! I'm glad you do! Sorry for the delayed update!**

**nanahikari2000: I try not to go into much of my personal life, as I'd rather not rant about it too much (I'd write a rant longer than the chapter itself, which isn't really ideal… -.-'), but thank you for your words! It's a lot better now. Gotcha :) Thank you very much~ Sorry for the delayed update coughcough.**

**Ch8: No worries! I mean, I did wonder where the lovely nanahikari went, but it's not like I missed you or anything b-baka! (Boy do I know that feeling..) Errr…. B-because I'm the self-proclaimed angst queen..? I, I mean uhh… If… if it makes you feel better… Tomo… Tomo will make it all k, ok? I promise, ok ;n;**

**Coughcough, there's… v-valid reasons, I swear…! I… I totes have a reason for the differences, ok?! (It's all for the- … It will be ok!)**

**See? I… I can be nice! The first time I saw a picture of Squalo I had never seen KHR or read it, but I thought "Hey, he looks cool". When I watched it, well, he was wildly different from what I expected. But still, I love the guy. #GrammaticallycorrectVOI We're making it a movement. Tomo always wins. In her mind, anyway coughcough. (omfg fighting scenes should be illegal I don't even- The hardest thing for me is that I can perfectly think up a fighting scene in my head, every little twitch and turn, but turning it into words is ridiculously hard…) Thank you very much!**

**Viviene001: Yus!**

**My Name is Alice: Aaah… Darnit… Well, spring is finally starting to show here, thankfully! Cats? My gosh, I adore cats… especially my cat, even if he's a sadist. Glad you think so, considering the pain it was to write XD More will be revealed soon! **

**rianifitria: They totally should. Worshipping Tomo as the candy goddess! **

**Flaming Belladonna: Glad you liked it! C: Thank you very much! (And yes, Fran is so adorable, I can't even!)**

**animagirl: Mwaha c: I enjoy writing it~ I'm hoping to shed some more light over that as well, as there is indeed a reason why Mukuro is kinda different when it comes to Enma! C: **

**Chrysoberyl-sama: I think I read a fanfic about it a long time ago… XD **

**KiraLoveless: Cough… Mukuro VS the world! Idk, Tomo's becoming too easy for me to ship with characters… gosh darnit.**

**Tech-fi: She sure did. Cough, she had it coming (even though she totes won- I mean uhh). Mwaahaha :D Good! It's supposed to be difficult- Err… I mean, yes, so many ships. So many… Thank you very much! :D**

**turtlehoffmann2251: LET US WORSHIP HER!**

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**Chapter warnings: Some feels, mostly relationship developments, not much plot.**

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Initially, when I had found Mukuro staring out an open window, seemingly lost in thought, I considered leaving him be. But when a light breeze ran through his hair, temporarily sending his bangs out of the way, and I saw the look in the one visible eye, I found myself rooted to the spot. I think several minutes passed by before he even noticed I was in the doorway, and when he did, I couldn't escape the feeling that I was seeing something I wasn't supposed to. It was as if we had gone back in time, to the time when Mukuro was just a young child, and his eyes were still easy to read. His gaze held a tinge of sadness, something I knew for certain he'd never want me to see.

The next moment, his eyes narrowed slightly, and whatever trace of sadness I had seen was gone. I resisted the urge to frown. Mukuro had grown to become such a mystery to me. A part of me kept insisting he'd taken me on for more reasons than me simply being 'useful', because honestly, I had only just barely started learning fighting and my manipulation of time was unreliable, if Mukuro even knew of it. I didn't have the guts to ask him, however.

Still, there was a reason I had sought him out, and I intended to get an answer for my question.

"What have you and Fran been up to?"

He didn't grace me with an answer, instead he merely kept staring at me silently. It was sort of unnerving, to be honest. Like he was trying to read my mind or something. I blinked, a sudden stray thought striking me.

_He's actually managed to cut me with his trident, hasn't he? Does that mean he could possess me? Would that even work, with me being a spirit and all..?_

For some reason, the thought of Mukuro even trying seemed nigh impossible. I was firmly snapped out of my thoughts when a hand gently landed on top of my head.

I blinked, a confused look fluttering across my features as I met Mukuro's gaze, a sudden gnawing feeling at the back of my head telling me something was wrong with the illusionist before me. So then, something had happened while I had been training seemed the most likely conclusion.

"Are you-"

When he pulled me in for a hug, I honestly didn't know how to react.

* * *

Mukuro hadn't truly experienced fear for quite some time. He hadn't expected to ever experience that wretched feeling again, in fact. While knowing fear was essential to an illusionist, he hated the feeling with a passion and much preferred causing others to feel it rather than him.

And yet such a simple find had brought the feeling upon him so easily, as if he was made of mere glass and that one moment had cracked him beyond recognition. He didn't like it, not at all, but even as hours had passed, he couldn't seem to mend the cracks in his façade.

It was infuriating how utterly helpless it made him feel, and how powerless he was to stop it. Even Fran had noticed his change in mentality, and so he'd swiftly left the boy and went his own way, seeking solitude to settle his thoughts. But of course, she had found him. It vaguely reminded him of how she'd found him when he had been a child too, suffering from the effects of the Estraneo famiglia's experiments.

The light of the moon made her hair seem almost white, and he found himself thinking that she truly did look like a ghost as she stood in the doorway, watching him with curious eyes. He knew his eyes were no doubt revealing things he'd rather keep hidden, rectifying his expression quickly. Proceeding to ignore her questions, he found himself looking at her. _Truly_ looking at her.

He couldn't truly deny it anymore. She wasn't just a spirit. Not just a tool. She was more than that. But just _what_ was she?

Instead of answering his own questions, or letting her phrase one of hers, he pulled her close. Illuminated by the moon, as pale as a ghost, as if she could disappear at any time. It left an unsettling feeling in his gut, once more reminding him of the fear he'd felt mere minutes ago. She _would_ disappear if nothing changed. She'd be there, but not _there_.

A part of him felt like he'd lost the battle before it even began. His intentions for bringing her to Verde had been various. To make her grow, stronger in both body and mind. For her to gain knowledge. For him to keep her close by where he could keep an eye on her. Going by his plans, she would never even take part in a battle, but from the very start she was destined to?

He resisted the urge to lock her up in some room and never let her out again.

"What happens in the battles?" he spoke, wording his question as more of an order. Tomo remained silent for a while, having stiffened slightly in surprise of his actions or his question, Mukuro wasn't sure.

"A… A lot of things…"

He tightened his hold, more so subconsciously than anything else, as if finding her answer physically painful.

_Something goes wrong. She knows it will. So why won't she tell me what happens?_

"You don't trust me with the information."

She clenched her fists.

"It's not… It's not that… Why… Why do you want to know, anyway?"

Because something would happen during those battles. Because something would break Tomo. Something would wrap its arms around her and twist and turn until she wasn't his Tomo anymore.

Mukuro found himself doing something rather out of character for him, letting out a soft sigh before burying his face in the crook of her neck.

"M-Mukuro..?"

He ignored her soft calling of his name in favor of inhaling her scent. He never could quite place just why she smelled so familiar and at the same time not at all. Then again, her entire existence was an enigma, and while he was intent on solving it, he was in no rush.

"H… Hey, Mukuro, what's wrong?"

_Everything_, he wanted to say.

"Nothing," were the words that left his lips. His tone didn't sound especially convincing, even to his own ears, but he didn't bother furthering his lie.

"Is… Is there anything I can do?"

_Yes._

"No."

It just wasn't fair, he found himself thinking. He didn't like the idea of having a set future, but parts of the future he was now in were things he wanted for himself. And yet, the one thing – or person, rather – he'd succeeded in attaining, was bound to fall into despair, and he was supposed to merely accept that?

A frown tugged at his lips.

"… Hey, Mukuro..?"

He made no motion to show he heard her, but she continued speaking nonetheless.

"I found out that apparently… if I don't become stronger, I'll get hurt. So… I'm going to become stronger. I want to protect those I care about..."

A scowl settled on his lips now, and he found it hard to stop himself from shouting. Sometimes, Tomo was just too oblivious to the feelings of those around her.

"That's precisely the problem."

* * *

I blinked, finding myself rather confused. Mukuro's actions were weird enough already, but his words only sent me further into confusion.

"… What?"

"You can be so frustratingly naïve at times. It's always about protecting others with you. If you cannot protect yourself, you cannot protect _anyone_."

At that moment, Mukuro let go of me, turning around so quickly I barely caught a glimpse of his angered expression. I found myself wide eyed, swallowing the lump in my throat. But Mukuro wasn't done.

"Have you ever stopped to think about why Daemon Spade kidnapped you so easily? Why Kozato Enma nearly killed you? Why you will lose future battles?"

I frowned, drops of sweat running down my neck. So he knew, about the future me's injury. As I was about to ponder his questions however – though hearing his words made my heart clench painfully – he swiftly continued, no intention of letting me interrupt.

"It is because you always insist on putting _everyone else_ first, but you never let anyone else protect _you_."

I wanted to deny his words, but they rang true, I realized. I had many opportunities to inform others about Daemon, but I chose not to, worried they wouldn't believe me – and, a part of my mind told me – I didn't want to put them in danger. With Enma, instead of waiting for Tsuna and the others to arrive, I had tried taking things into my own hands instead, and instead ended up almost dying, _again_.

I found myself staring downwards, seemingly fascinated with a small stain on the floor by my feet. Before Mukuro forced me to look up at him, his hand gripping my chin surprisingly gently. Instead of his previously angered face, his eyes held an unreadable emotion, and his lips were set in a firm line.

"Stop acting so selfishly and allow others to protect you for once."

_Like you?_ I considered asking, but with the look he was giving me, I couldn't bring myself to say anything.

Because, for a moment, I was certain I saw something akin to fondness in his eyes.

* * *

**Ritsu: Somewhat short, I apologize for that… TSOS update should be up tomorrow sometime (or later today, as it's already the 15****th**** here.). Also, I realized only now that I missed White day, which was the 14****th**** (which ended roughly four hours ago for me). Regardless, I'll be finishing up the bonuses anyway, and publishing them later, mmkay? **


	10. When Emotion Clouds Reason

**Ritsu: Something weird happened today as I was logging on Fanfiction. I got the captcha code '6666', so I figured, hey, maybe the site is trying to tell me something (like, idk, I need a life off the net..?). Anyway, I typed in my info and entered the code but instead of logging in… I'm told I typed in the wrong code. I did screenshot the code and it was without a doubt 6666, but whatever you say FF. Whatever you say…**

**Srsly Mukuro get the eff out of my computer before I LET it overheat, you annoying little bish…ie.**

**Additionally, I've added a link to my profile to a Facebook page where I try to update on where I'm at with chapters and such. It's kinda inactive at the moment, but then again, I was dead for a while, so… XD**

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**Anyway, onwards to the reviews!**

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**nanahikari2000: You poor thing… Having to PM me because FF is stupid at times. But don't worry, I won't bite. Can't talk for anyone else tho. THE CRIB BETTER HAVE MISSED ME! Feels good to be back in da club B) **

**Yes, this is your reward. This fluff is for all you lovely reviewers who waited patiently for me to return. … XD Don't worry, I brought it upon myself with all de fluff~ You're very welcome~**

**MiharuOftheWhiteSea: I take it the fluff was appreciated XD Mwahahah~ They just might ;3 (There is, after all, the Rainbow trials/battles whatever it's called arc after this, coughhinthintcough). There is no need for sanity here, m'dear, so no worries if you lose yourself to the fluff!**

**Tech-fi: It was quite fun to write~**

**And yes! That'd be soooo true XD I wouldn't be able to do much anyway, cause I'm an absolute lazy wimp. My physical strength makes episode 1 Tsuna seem like HDWM :'D Cough, I'd go through those six (I accidentally wrote sex, ooops) paths of hell or whichever just to become harder to kill so I could creep some more… (bwahaha, Mukuro might grow tired of it eventually! Hopefully…)**

**KiraLoveless: I was tempted, but bringing out Tsun-Mukuro would send all the fluff to a horrible death I wouldn't wish upon anyone. Besides, I think it's a tad cuter having Tomo thinking it, y'know? C:**

**Theta-McBride: Yush! :D**

**animagirl: I'll do my best to bring more fluff! :D**

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**Chapter Warnings: A little bit of fluff, a new OC, naked Levi. Kind of short chapter…**

* * *

It was a tad embarrassing, and I'd never admit it to anyone, but I fell asleep in Mukuro's room that night. When I woke up, I was in his bed (fully clothed, thank goodness) all tucked in, but the illusionist himself was nowhere to be seen. Which was probably for the better, all things considered. Then again, the fact that he'd actually tucked me in was rather confusing. And had he been sleeping there too before leaving?

… _I'm not sure I have the guts to ask…_

So I didn't try to find Mukuro as I got up, instead opting to try my best to complete the training Squalo had… gently convinced me to do every single day. Despite what Mukuro had said about letting other people protect me, I still… I still felt the need to grow stronger. A feeling in my gut told me that if I didn't become stronger, I'd have to be protected all the time instead, something that I wasn't too keen on.

This time around Fran joined me, having finally escaped from Lussuria (I made sure to apologize for not rescuing him), watching me from the sidelines while I practiced. Of course, he sent one of his sarcastic remarks at me every once in a while ("You look like a drowning duck." "What the hell does a drowning duck look like?!" "Like you.") and occasionally he'd conjure up an illusion or two to mess with me, but when I finished up I found that if anything, it had been rather helpful.

Which was why Fran was rewarded with a rather large serving of pancakes topped with slices of pineapple (the kid really did have an obsession with pineapples it seemed) as I casually made myself some breakfast as well. Thankfully, I'd asked Lussuria the day before if it was alright for me to use the kitchen when needed, which I'd gotten the okay for. It felt kind of like… a family breakfast, even though it was just Fran and me. Then again, had the Varia been there along with Mukuro (And Byakuran, assuming he hadn't left), it wouldn't be considered breakfast, rather it'd be considered a war zone.

Much like how things did turn out when a total stranger more or less blew the door off its hinges and jumped at me.

* * *

The amount of food that hit his face had been rather unexpected. Which was why he remained stupidly standing in front of the woman armed with eggs and- was that a peeled apple?

_People actually peel apples before they eat them?_

Granted, when he'd been in a hurry so it wasn't really strange that he surprised the people inside, but glancing between the somewhat more frightening woman and the kid that was staring at him with a bored look while eating a stack of pancakes, he found himself wondering what would have happened if they'd been holding knives instead of food.

_Crap… They would have totally offed me!_

Raising his hands slowly, he sent them what he thought was a comforting smile, but with egg yolk and raspberry jam covering his face it looked more like something out of a nightmare. His green eyes were twitching, more so in worry than anger. To be frank, he could barely even see through his now stained glasses.

"Err, I did not mean to… surprise you. I'm a good guy, honestly!"

The combined power of their deadpan looks and the way the woman seemed to shift more in front of the kid made the hairs on his neck stand up. A cold sweat broke out on his forehead, leaving trails down his face, no doubt only making him look even worse.

"… I… I guess I'm only making things even worse for myself…" he shyly muttered after a moment of silence, slowly bringing his hand up to his face, wiping away the worst of the mess. A moment later he blinked owlishly as a roll of paper was presented to him.

"You're sending everything flying. I promised not to make a mess, so wipe the floor clean."

_Oh._

She wanted him to clean the floor, not his face.

_I made another mistake! I'm so getting offed! I bet they'll let Levi-senpai do it, too! He's always hated me from the very start! _

Pathetic tears streamed down his face as he slowly but surely wiped up every speck of crushed eggs and cream off the floor under the watchful eye of who he assumed was superior to him in rank. She had to be, considering she didn't even have to wear the uniform.

"U-uuhmm… Miss..?" he started hesitantly, gazing up from the floor at the woman before him. The way she held herself showed definite signs of authority. This had to be a superior of his!

_Perhaps, the boss's wife?!_

Throwing himself at her legs, he held them in a firm grip, sobbing and rubbing his face up and down.

"Please don't report me to the booooooss-!"

* * *

I didn't know what to say.

"… What?"

The man stilled for a moment, peeking up at me from behind his brown bangs (I really hoped he hadn't looked up my skirt), tears still streaming down his face and I found myself overcome with the urge to wipe away the snot dribbling out of his nose. He looked worse than Lambo, I noted to myself.

"Y… You're the boss's wife, right? I-I mean, you're a bit young, but… you have to be! You don't have to wear a uniform a-and if you tell the boss on me he'll off me for sure!"

I blushed before slapping myself in the face.

"I'm not anyone's wife… I'm… a friend of err… two- or rather… three members, yeah. Moreover… I came from the past, so…" I explained, watching the utterly pathetic look on his face morph into one of hope.

"You won't report me?!"

I shook my head, awkwardly scratching my cheek.

"N..No… Sorry for throwing food at you, by the way… You're a Varia member, right?" I spoke, glancing at his uniform. I felt kind of stupid for not noticing sooner, but he _had_ been acting rather suspiciously.

He nodded enthusiastically, standing up quickly. He then used his sleeve to wipe his face clean. I grimaced, taking a step back. Just who was this weirdo?

"Yes! I'm Aayden Aherne, recently appointed cloud guardian of the Varia-A-are you okay?!"

My face had gone pure white, all color drained away as I tried to make sense of what he'd just said. This guy was Varia's cloud guardian?!

"Y… You're _what_..?"

A glance to the side told me Fran had already bailed, leaving me to deal with the awkward man before me that actually wanted me to believe he _the_ cloud guardian when I could barely fathom he was even a member of the Varia.

Oh joy.

Aayden blinked owlishly, tilting his head to the side.

"I'm the cloud guardian. I was appointed about two weeks ago-p-please don't faint!"

I struggled to move myself over to a chair, practically collapsing on it. While I knew not every kind of person was the same as anyone else with their flame, I just couldn't believe such a… weird guy shared the same flame with people like Hibari. Even more so, for him to join Varia seemed too weird.

A stray thought of Tsuna made me pause in my judgment, however. He too had been a total scaredy-cat at first but because of Reborn he changed. So then, the guy in front of me needed Reborn..?

"You… don't really fit this kind of life," I managed to utter, finding myself surprised by the small smile on his lips.

"I really don't, do I? Squalo-senpai's always telling me to man up… And Levi-senpai is constantly trying to kill me… I think Bel-senpai considers me to be his personal slave, always forcing me to carry his stuff or carrying him-"

"-I know the feeling…"

He blinked, sending me a slightly bigger smile before continuing.

"Fran-senpai gives me nightmares and while Lussuria-nee-san talks to me… it feels like it's more out of obligation than actually wanting to. Boss hasn't acknowledged my presence even once since I was promoted either… but, I like it here."

I found it hard not to throw sparkles at him, considering the oblivious and quite happy 'moe' smile he was sending me. He looked more like a puppy than an assassin.

_He's a total masochist…_

"I… I see…"

A thought struck me.

"So… did you come here to eat..?"

"Ah! Oh, no, of course not!"

I raised an eyebrow.

'_Of course not'..? _

"I was being pursued by Levi-senpai, so I thought I'd hide!"

"And that's why you practically blew down the door and wailed loud enough to reach Japan…"

"… I… I was not aware I was crying that loud… Oh no… did… did it bother you?!"

A moment later he threw himself on his knees, bowing until his forehead hit the floor. I could hear him sobbing.

"I'm so sorry! I won't ever cry around you again! You can punish me if you want!"

… _But you're crying right now…_

It was at that moment Fran returned with Mukuro in tow, as Aayden was wagging his butt in the air begging me to punish him for his stupidity.

…

When Levi came flying through the open door stark naked, I wanted to die.

_Again._

* * *

**Ritsu: Welp, maybe it's just me, but it always bothered me that Varia got themselves a new illusionist… but the cloud position remained empty. Thusly, Aayden was created. I totally didn't just want an excuse to create a cloud guardian with confidence issues and masochistic tendencies because cloud OCs that act exactly like Hibari rubs me the wrong way-**

… **I'm calm. Anyways, Aayden isn't a rival for Mukuro, nor is he going to be interested in Tomo. He's meant for crack and lightheartedness. **

**Aayden is a name of Irish origin, as is Aherne (which is a family name dating back to Gaelic times). Thusly, Aayden is Irish. He's got lovely green eyes and brown short hair and I gave him glasses because I may or may not have a glasses fetish. I'll draw him eventually, after I'm done with prizes, kay?**

**PS. Because we're almost at 100 reviews I'll go ahead and inform all potential winners that until the three prizes I'm already working on are done, I won't be starting the prize for 100 reviews to this story. So yeah.**


	11. I want to go home!

**Ritsu: Glorious late chapters. Gotta love 'em. Instead of dilly dallying, here's the chapter! Also, trying out some new stuff from now on at the beginning of the chapters~ (The… the uhh, italicized thing..) It'll make sense later on, so I wouldn't skip 'em if I were you (and they'll be pretty short, so)**

* * *

**-We interrupt this broadcast to answer the reviews-**

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**HikariYamino: O-oh my! I'm glad you like the way I portray Mukuro (wish he'd cooperate with me more though). Mukuro is a bit of a mystery to me (and probably a lot of other people too) but throughout the series there were plenty of hints to show that he wasn't just what he appeared. Although difficult at times, I really do enjoy exploring him (that's what she said) and it makes me happy that you like it! :D No problem!**

**Viviene001: Awww, it's okay! :D Any review (that isn't flaming me) makes me happy! Sorry this took so long! I do take breaks sometimes… XD As for my bedtimes… I usually go sleep at 4 in the morning nowadays… should probably change that… (I WILL!)**

**OceanRuins: Glad you like him! XD That is an interesting idea… (And it'd make a fun omake to write~) Pffft…. Mukuro and Enma would have a field day arguing why Tomo chose 'em, I reckon… Thank you very much! Sorry for the late update!**

**animagirl: It's just, after that one panel in the manga where's he's naked… I get the feeling he just doesn't care… **

**KiraLoveless: … :) Mwahahah~**

* * *

**Chapter warnings: Some angst. Feels. You should know the drill by now. Also, Illusionist!fluff.**

* * *

_Nothing frightened me more than watching those precious to me cry._

_As I watched him cry, unaware of my presence, I found myself thinking that I shouldn't be seeing this. It wasn't meant for my eyes or ears. But my future self wanted me to see this. _

_She wanted me to see just how broken he had become because of her, so that I wouldn't do the same._

_A bitter smile slipped onto my lips, her wishes not lost upon me._

_I never wanted to see him like this ever again._

* * *

Two weeks had passed since my meeting with Ayden.

It terrified me.

We had no way of returning to our own time, and I feared that even if we did, it would already be too late. When we had gone to the future, we only had mere days before the battle. Unless we came back in time to the same day of the accident, chances were rather big the battle had begun and everything would go wrong. My heart clenched painfully when I thought about the others. I had no way of finding out if they were okay after all. While the older Fran and the older Mukuro would no doubt help, I worried my own older self would only cause grief. In a way, she frustrated me. I could understand that an injury could change a person, but was she truly the same as me? The idea of giving up sounded so… strange to my ears. It was hard, I admitted, trying to imagine what the future me felt like.

But the more I dwelled on it, the more I noticed I wasn't the only one with such things on my mind. Mukuro often seemed lost in thought and the first few times I asked him about it I noticed he always seemed to hesitate before giving me a non-committal grunt, heading off on his own.

It surprised me how Fran was less obvious about his worries, but nonetheless I noticed how he'd flinch whenever a familiar name was uttered. I wanted to talk to him about it, but never found a good time to do so. When Squalo wasn't keeping me distracted- attempting to, anyway- with sparring and training regimens, Bel was having me do errands or just generally being a prince. Byakuran had left a few days ago claiming he was needed at home, though not before offering to bring me with him. It was tempting, but I told him that while I wanted to meet Yuni, I could do so in my own time. Besides, I felt more inclined to go to Japan and meet the people there before someone I technically didn't know.

But no matter who I asked, they all refused. I even went to Xanxus, and while he didn't exactly shoot me or throw wine glasses at me, but he made it abundantly clear that I was staying put whether I liked it or not. My worries only grew worse with time, and at some point Mukuro had dragged off Fran to train him, leaving me alone with the future Varia.

So when three familiar faces had shown up at Varia headquarters, I had thrown myself at the closest person without thinking.

I never knew Chikusa was capable of turning that red before.

* * *

The moment W.W- err, M.M- learned Mukuro wasn't in the actual building she'd begrudgingly left to try and find him. Ken had, after spewing some insults at me, gone to the kitchen to eat up all of Varia's food supplies, which left Chikusa awkwardly next to me on a couch in one of the various rooms at Varia headquarters. I had asked him why Chrome wasn't with them, and he'd quietly explained she was needed at Vongola headquarters as future Mukuro was unavailable. I wasn't sure how they had found out about Mukuro, but I assumed he'd contacted them at some point. After that we'd just ended up sort of quiet, Chikusa seemingly studying the floor while I stared at him.

"Hey, Chikusa-san?"

He didn't give me a vocal reply, but he turned to look at me in acknowledgement.

"How come… how come the three of you came here?"

"… Mukuro-san asked us to."

I blinked in silent surprise.

"My time's Mukuro?"

He nodded and we returned to our silence as I pondered his words. I wasn't exactly close to the Kokuyo gang – which technically included me now – since I had only met them a short while ago, but unlike the Varia I actually knew them somewhat. Was that the purpose of asking them to come here? So I could meet people I knew in my own time as well? Or was it so that they could meet me, the younger Tomo, and perhaps ease their hearts a little?

_Nah… Ken and M.M barely even acknowledged me._

I found myself staring silently at Chikusa, who met my stare with one of his own.

_Was it for Chikusa's sake, then? But Mukuro wouldn't really know much about them unless his older self left him information…_

"Chikusa-san, are you and the future me good friends?"

It was pure luck I even noticed him flinch when I asked him my question. It made me regret asking, but at the same time I wanted to know.

"… Not really," Chikusa spoke after a moment, and while his tone held its usual monotone, I was certain there was a hint of regret in his statement. A frown slipped onto my lips and I crossed my arms.

"I'm beginning to dislike the future me more and more…"

"Why?"

I blinked, surprised at his question.

"Well, she just… gave up. The Varia, they don't say it… but it's obvious they're sad, Byakuran even told me so. I mean… I have no idea what it's like, practically losing your leg, but it bothers me that she's being so selfish… You said that the future me and you aren't good friends… but if she hadn't given up…" I trailed off, letting out a sigh.

_You could've been…_

Chikusa remained silent for a while, seemingly lost in thought. Perhaps he simply didn't care and wasn't paying attention. I never really knew with him. He seemed to be the only one aside from Mukuro from the original Kokuyo gang that seemed to think I was alright, but I never had the guts to ask him if he actually liked me, or was just being civil because of Mukuro.

"She stopped speaking to me once she got injured."

I froze, staring at Chikusa in shock. I had no idea where his sudden reply came from, but the words sounded forced, pained even. I was well aware Chikusa wasn't emotionally dead, but it still surprised me.

_Why… why would the future me..?_

My eyes widened in sudden shock and I swallowed the lump in my throat.

"She… I… I protected you. That's why I got the injury, isn't it?"

The way he suddenly refused to look at me was all the answer I needed. My heart clenched painfully.

"Chikusa-san..?" I questioned softly, receiving a small nod of acknowledgement. "… I'm so sorry my older self is an idiot!" I exclaimed quickly, standing up only to bow. "I mean… I'm not sorry she protected you, but sorry she's a selfish prick that took out her pain on everyone, you especially!"

A hand landed on my head, ruffling my hair. I glanced up, eyes widening slightly upon seeing a ghost of a smile on Chikusa's face. Without another word he left the room, to do what – I had no idea.

… _When we get back to our own time, I need to give Chikusa the greatest hug I've ever given anyone._

* * *

Fran was crying.

Wailing, bawling, drowning in tears. And Mukuro just stood there, unsure of what to do. He had no experience with crying children (none that didn't involve stabbing them, anyway) and while he normally would berate Fran for his childish behavior, this time was different. He wasn't crying because an illusion spooked him, or he was just tired and wanted to whine.

"I want to go home!"

Fran was crying because he wanted to go home. And even Mukuro could admit he was a bit homesick. That the idiot Ken from this time had blabbered about Tomo and her future self's condition had only worsened things, and he found it hard not to stab him. Fran wasn't supposed to know what had happened. He didn't need to know, as Mukuro was determined to change it.

A frown settled on his lips. He realized that far too often did he forget Fran was just a child currently, gifted illusionist or not. Perhaps that was why Tomo was so good with him. She treated him like the child he was, not pushing expectations onto him or expecting Fran to act older than he was. Perhaps he could learn from her, but he'd never admit to such a thing.

Besides, none of that was any help currently.

If Tomo was here, what would she do? Mukuro questioned himself. Most likely, she'd hug Fran and tell him comforting words or attempt to distract him with something else.

A sigh left his lips.

"Fran."

The boy ignored him, sobbing and wiping at his eyes with his hands. Mukuro's frown deepened. Crouching down in front of the boy he tried to ignore the way his pride was yelling at him to just ignore the kid in front of him. Instead, he decided to try and take a page out of Tomo's book. Mukuro was not good at comforting people, but he _was_ good at telling people what they wanted to hear.

Putting his hand on top of Fran's head to gain the boy's attention, he attempted to smile comfortingly like Tomo would have, but it ended up more as a grimace.

Fran's sobs quieted into sniffs, but his bottom lip trembled, making Mukuro rather uncomfortable.

"The Tomo of this time and our Tomo are two different people. Neither of their actions are anyone else's responsibility."

Fran remained silent, only letting out the occasional sniff. Mukuro resisted the urge to groan.

"And as for going home, we'll be returning to our own time soon."

"You don't know that, stupid pineapple fairy!"

This time Mukuro felt his eye twitch. _Calm down_, he told himself. Fran was just a child, he attempted to convince himself. Just. A. Child.

"And you don't know that we won't return."

_You sure got him, Mukuro._

To think he'd be stooping down to Fran's level, how embarrassing.

"…"

Even Fran seemed to react to how Mukuro had reacted rather childishly, sending him a long stare. At least he'd stopped crying, Mukuro told himself. Yes, that made his actions worth it. Moving his hand from Fran's head, he pulled him in for the most awkward hug of his life. And yet, despite how obvious it was that the both of them were incredibly uncomfortable with the situation, the way Fran awkwardly returned the hug told him that he'd done something right.

And perhaps if he hadn't been so caught up in his embarrassment of hugging Fran like they were family, he would've noticed the teenage girl watching the scene with a soft smile.

* * *

**Ritsu: I feel like I may have butchered some personalities here, but what the hell, these aren't the canon characters anymore anyway and I really wanted Mukuro and Fran to have some development and Fran's just a kid, I know I would get homesick too and I'm turning twenty this year. To be honest I have some trouble with how KHR portrays the younger characters because it feels like they're not really portrayed as kids (minus Lambo, and his childish personality is really exaggerated). I-pin is some amazing martial artist student, Fuuta barely acts like a kid (in my opinion), Fran essentially acts the same as when he's older except he shows some fear as a kid and is a bit more expressive and while I do realize these kids grew up involved with mafia… well, they're still kids… And Fran doesn't remember jack squat about the future so there's no real excuse for him to suddenly be a hardened warrior just by spending some time with the Kokuyo Gang. **

**Just as I think Mukuro is a deep character, I believe Fran is a lot more human and emotional than what he's portrayed like. So yeah.**

**Same goes for Chikusa, heaven knows that boy deserves more attention and for people to stop thinking he's been lobotomized or something. Some of you might have noticed I portray him as more expressive than he might seem (granted, it's mostly in the form of blushing), this is all on purpose. Beanie boy is human too, as much as the barcode might seem to make him into a carton of milk. **

**But, this is all just my own thoughts and beliefs, so don't quote me on anything…**

**And yes, some foreboding information regarding TYL!Tomo and her injury. **

**Omake time!**

* * *

_Meeting the chibi peasant_

* * *

She was arriving today. That pathetic shell of a woman that he once considered an almost equal was arriving today. A part of him was frustrated, not wanting to even gaze upon that pathetic excuse of a human being. Another lesser part of him that he'd rather not speak of felt an ounce of sadness upon realizing he'd have to see that look of despair on her face again. He liked it better when she didn't visit. Even though she claimed to do it for their sake, he knew she was merely doing it to pretend like she was fine.

Nobody believed her. You'd have to be an idiot to do so. Not even that lame cloud guardian fell for her weak charade. If he had, then it would've merely led to his death.

The prince didn't tolerate Ayden as it was, but at least the dumbass knew better than to say anything out loud about the obvious discomfort that her visits caused or how obviously fake her façade was.

How Mukuro could stand to live with her, he would never understand. Every single time he saw her face, he wanted to carve it right off with his knives, consequences be damned. That look didn't suit her face and it made him sick just to witness it.

Of course, he doubted anyone else knew she was on the way. He'd sensed her familiar presence by mere luck as he'd been returning from his latest mission, but refrained from seeking her out. Why pretend like he wanted to see her, when he wanted nothing more than for her to leave and never come back.

Bel didn't like weaklings. Didn't like the foolish or the unrefined. He despised cowards and peasants that weren't even good enough to _be_ peasants.

But there had been a point where she'd been the opposite of all that. By no means a queen or even a princess, but a knight. Someone strong, clever and graceful. Not on his level, but on an acceptable level. And she provided intelligent conversation and exciting sparring sessions.

But now?

Now she was nothing but a hindrance. Not just to him, but to the Varia, to the Vongola and even to those Kokuyo brats she claimed to care for. If she truly did such a thing, she wouldn't have given up so easily. While Bel by no means liked Squalo very much as he was about as graceful as a Magikarp, he could not deny that Squalo was powerful. He'd cut off his own hand for crying out loud! And he'd grown stronger from it. She had options, ways to fix her leg, but she refused them all, for reasons beyond him. She willingly remained weak, but then had the guts to cause trouble for those around her instead of dealing with her own shitty weakness. And it only grew worse as each year passed.

_I wonder_, Bel thought to himself, _just when did I grow to hate Tomo?_

He honestly didn't know.

But a small part of him, a part so small no one would have been able to detect it, held some semblance of hope that the strong woman he'd once enjoyed talking to, enjoyed sparring with, would return.

And as he found the much younger Tomo stumbling through the woods surrounding the Varia headquarters, his lips curled upwards into a grin, he concluded that she had.

Or rather, she would return shortly, once she received the proper training.

He'd make sure of that.

* * *

**Ritsu: Did I butcher Bel? I mean, I adore the guy (especially TYL!Bel I mean look at that hair aaaah) but I find him really hard to write usually, so writing from his POV was… challenging. But I wanted to give some insight into his character and his feelings regarding Tomo. While Squalo was more inclined towards feeling guilt, Bel came to resent Tomo because she grew weak. He just doesn't strike me as someone who'd easily feel sympathy (I'm not saying he **_**can't**_** feel sympathy, though, psychopath or not). Additionally, I wanted to show that while he most certainly never considered Tomo to be an equal, he did at one point consider her to be above peasant status. **

**LET ME KNOW IF THERE ARE THINGS I COULD IMPROVE ON, OKAY?!**


	12. Running Away Solves Nothing

**Ritsu: Aaah, so, I was at a convention recently and while it was really fun it was soooo tiring… Sadly I met no KHR cosplayers, but I did meet someone who was a fan of the series, so that's a plus! C: Hopefully going to a con this summer though, which is a lot bigger~ Additionally, I started playing Dangan Ronpa, and man… why have I not played it sooner?! Anyways!**

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**Reviews~**

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**Viviene001: That just implies many things… XD **

**OceanRuins: XD Oh gosh… The amount of ships just keep increasing… Glad you do! :D With all the super babies around I feel like it's easy to forget that some of the younger characters are actually kids without the super… Awkward hugs for days~ **

**HikariYamino: ;n; Okae! I usually prefer being on the safe side, is all XD I'm glad you think so! Moar is here!**

**Theta-McBride: Thank you! :D**

**Also, I haven't mentioned this for a while, but this chapter will reveal Tomo's box animal, which means that someone will be given the prize of a oneshot of their choice. I'll put the name of the winner at the bottom, and I'll pm (if they're not a guest reviewer) the winner when this chapter goes up! Also, anyone who suggested an animal will get an honorable mention!**

**Box animal suggestions:**

**FrozenThinMint: Unicorn, bunny, panda or the original 'Tomo'.**

**Candra-ThePhantomAuthor: Nightingale or a Little Penguin.**

* * *

_It's kind of cliché, that phrase about 'fitting right into someone's embrace'. I mean, I would often read it in books, and I'd laugh and say it was silly. But…_

_As I sat there in his lap, all I could think of was how perfectly I fit into his arms. _

… _How embarrassing._

* * *

Wiping away the sweat on my forehead with my arm, I let out a frustrated huff. I doubted I'd ever get used to Squalo's intense training. It didn't help that we'd been training quite a lot for the past days with little to no breaks, but at the same time my talk with Chikusa had made me more determined than ever to become stronger.

… _Though I suppose I should put some thought into what Mukuro said as well…_

Looking over at my teacher, I found him sending me an approving look. I'd improved quite a lot since we began, in fact I had noticed myself that I just… felt stronger. I couldn't exactly build muscles since my physical body was made from illusions, but I imagined I would have if my body had been real and all. At the same time, I knew that training with only Squalo meant I would only be used to fighting swordfighters, so he'd brought in some of the other members of the Varia at times. It was… not very fun. Sure, I could handle most of them, especially Levi as my shields just absorbed his attacks and grew stronger, but Bel and Mukuro – as Squalo _somehow_ convinced Mukuro to 'fight' me – were utter hell, no pun intended. Bel's style of fighting with his knives were easy enough for me to dodge or block, but his wires kept causing me trouble. For every wire I cut down, three more would take its place. Granted, he was never able to cause me significant injuries, but I wasn't able to get close to him either.

I quickly vowed to simply not fight people capable of long range attacks until I could do so myself. Unless they were Levi. Because my shields never really ran out of flames when Levi struck them with more and all.

But at least Bel and I had achieved some kind of truce, as we'd both gotten an opportunity to beat each other up. That didn't mean I looked forward to asking him to train me, though.

As for why I was going to ask him to train me…

* * *

"My… box animal?" I found myself repeating dumbly, staring at the adult version of Ken in front of me. Sending me an annoyed look, he nodded.

"Mukuro-san told us to bring 'em, byon."

… _Them?_

A moment later the box Ken was holding out towards me was joined with another one held by Chikusa. The only reason I could find as to why my future self wasn't carrying the boxes was that they were either stolen by or entrusted to the two males before me. I was leaning more towards the former, to be honest.

"So there's… two of them?"

Chikusa nodded, adjusting his glasses, no doubt feeling awkward as I still hadn't moved to grab the boxes. Eventually Ken more or less forced the box he was holding into my hands before walking off, muttering something about 'teenage girls'. Getting the message, I swiftly took hold of the box in Chikusa's hands as well, mumbling my thanks. He merely nodded before he too left the room, considerably faster than Ken for some reason.

Staring at the boxes in my hands I felt a sudden feeling of sadness overcome me. The feeling didn't come from me, rather, both of the boxes or rather the animals within them, were expressing their sadness. It was weird… feeling someone else's emotions as if it was my own.

Continuing to stare at the boxes, _my_ boxes, I let out a sigh.

"You guys… must miss her a lot, huh?"

* * *

I had been told Bel helped me train with my box animal, or animals in this case, so in a way it felt natural to ask him. Part of me was hoping it could make him feel less guilty as well, though it wasn't like I actually knew if he felt that guilty about it in the first place. I was just assuming such.

But before that, I wanted to see them for myself. I wanted to get to know the animals that my future self came to rely on and trust. They weren't shaking like Tsuna's had, so I was fairly certain I had nothing to worry about when calling them out, but that didn't make me any less nervous, admittedly.

Why were there two boxes? What animals were inside?

Would they accept me?

Gathering up my determination, I sat down on the floor, ignoring how cold and uncomfortable it was. I'd never used a box animal before, so I had no idea how taxing it was for my energy, thusly I decided to open the boxes one at a time.

I'd have to thank Verde for the ring whenever we went back in time, I noted to myself as I lit up my ring before bringing it into the indentation on the box.

A moment later and a flash of green flames a small animal stood before me. It wasn't intimidating like Bester, nor did it seem aggressive like Uri. In fact, it seemed a bit… shy. When I reached out to pet the small white bunny in front of my feet, it skittered away a bit before approaching slowly, sniffing my hand. Deciding that I was, in fact, it's friend – though notably younger – it settled in my lap instead, and had it been a cat I was fairly sure it would've been purring.

So my first box animal was a bunny? The warmth in my lap felt rather comforting, so against my better judgement, I decided to let my bunny remain as I opened the next box.

… _It's like Christmas…_

I stared at the even smaller animal in front of me.

"…"

I was surprised, to say the least, by the small penguin in front of me. It wasn't just small in stature, as it was in fact a 'Little' Penguin. I honestly hadn't expected to see one for real in my life, or err… unlife. It wobbled my way, recognizing me instantly – or wanted to eat me, I wasn't sure – and it stood awkwardly next to my thigh, seemingly slapping me with its small wings.

I managed a small smile, trying not to laugh.

"I know… the future me is kinda dumb. Sorry about that…"

The penguin let out a huff, the look it sent me reminding me of a not-so-intimidating Hibari.

"So uhhmm… do you guys have names?"

"Alice and Mail."

I jumped at the sudden voice before meeting the hair of a certain prince. He merely grinned, letting out a laugh at my surprise. His mink was at his side, hissing at my box animals.

I blinked slowly, tilting my head to the side.

"Alice and Mail? I get Alice for the bunny and all… but why Mail?"

"Shishishi~ Who knows?"

I was tempted to say 'your mom knows' but refrained from doing so. I didn't really know anything about his mother and frankly, I wasn't going to tempt fate.

"… Hey Bel… could you… help me with training?"

To be honest, I had expected him to say no, so when he sent me a grin, brandishing his knives, I found myself staring in shock as he spoke.

"Haven't you realized it yet? We've already started."

A drop of blood trailed down my cheek.

Goddamn prince.

* * *

**Ritsu: Somewhat short, but guess what? There's… an omake this time!**

**And I don't want to write the whole fighting scene right now. I-I'm not avoiding it! Anyway, enjoy this omake! **

**But before that, I've got some stuff to say. So, two box animals. There were only two people who suggested animals, and while I'm bad enough with prizes as is, naturally I decided to give both FrozenThinMint and Candra-ThePhantomAuthor prizes. SO CONGRATS YOU GUYS! I'LL TRY TO REMEMBER TO PM YOU CANDRA! **

**As for FrozenThinMint, if you're reading this, please send me in a review what pairing (assuming you want one) or plot you'd like for your oneshot prize! Remember it has to be KHR, however!**

**As for anyone who's won a drawing prize, sorry for the delay… I will try to finish it soon! **

**Second thing I would like to say! **

**Why did I choose the bunny and the little penguin? And what's with their names?**

**I picked the bunny versus the other suggestions because bunnies are fast, jump high and they enjoy the outdoors. Tomo isn't really happy with being cooped up inside, like she's on a leash, she has that time power which I relate to speed, and obviously speed or time can also be related to a certain white rabbit in a certain book, and much like how Alice fell into a hole and thusly into a book (sort of), Tomo died and fell into a manga. **

**As for the Little Penguin, I chose it versus the Nightingale is mostly tied to one specific thing that I find relates heavily to Tomo. A Nightingale can fly, a penguin cannot. Flying is usually represented as freedom. Tomo doesn't have much freedom anymore, being tied to a ring and such. Therefore, a penguin which tend to dwell in water seemed more fitting, because in the water you can drown, and Tomo's more often than not drowning in emotions.**

**Does it make sense? It sounded cooler in my head…**

**Names, right. **

**Alice should be obvious, related to the whole Alice in Wonderland thing which'll come into play later. As for Mail, it's a reference for two characters, sort of. The more obvious one is (SPOILERS FOR DEATH NOTE) Mail Jeevas aka Matt from Death Note. The less obvious one is related to a story my mom would read me as a kid that I loved which was about a penguin delivering mail. **

**Now then, time for the omake! I can note that this one was fun to write, considering the style I tried to use XD**

* * *

_The White Queen_

* * *

Once upon a time there lived a king and a queen in a castle. The couple were oh so happy but they lacked something. The king wished for an heir, someone to carry on his legacy. The queen wished for a child, one to love and cherish and hold close.

One day, the queen fell ill, but t'was a joyous day, for the queen was with child. All within the castle walls shared the couple's happiness, already preparing for the child to come. But imagine the surprise once not one child, but two were born.

The king and queen found themselves having twins, two fair haired boys. The king was happy, filled with joy, for he now had an heir. The queen was happy, filled with love, for she now had a child to cherish and hold close.

But that child the king appointed as his heir and the child the queen cherished was one and the same.

The one dubbed Rasiel.

The other child, the younger twin, was dubbed Belphegor, for he was a demonic child.

Rasiel was loud, slept irregularly and demanded attention and time.

Belphegor was quiet, slept for long periods of time and never demanded much attention.

The two twins were incredibly different, and yet they looked oh so much like one another.

Despite their differences and how they were treated, Belphegor did not complain. He accepted it, wished for change, but eventually realized change would not come unless he acted.

The love he once held for his brother turned into resentment.

The want to be noticed turned into a need.

The urge to scream turned into an urge to kill.

From the very beginning, Rasiel truly hadn't stood a chance.

But Belphegor was not noticed, nor was he praised. He was not loved or cherished.

The king was angered, the queen was morning the loss of her son. Both feared him.

Belphegor did not want this.

Everything was wrong.

They were supposed to praise him!

He was stronger!

Smarter!

He was better in every way! He never whined or complained. Never yelled. Never demanded their attention. Nevernevernevernevernevernevernevernevernevernevernever-

He was the better son.

He was just so so so so so so tired of being in second place.

He wanted to _win_.

Was that so bad? Was that so wrong? For eight years, he let them ignore him. He allowed them to shower his brother with praise.

But then he just couldn't take it anymore.

"I wanted them to _see _me."

He didn't regret his actions.

"I wanted them to _understand_ me."

Why would he regret them?

"If you cannot even understand one person, you are not fit to rule."

After all-

"Ushishi~ Datte… Ore wa ouji damon~"

He was a prince.


	13. When It Ends

**Ritsu: … **

**12 chapters. **

**28,400 words.**

**6,112 views (As of 2015-05-05 16:48)**

**90 favorites.**

**109 follows.**

**100 reviews.**

***The above will change as this chapter goes up**

**Okay, I'm all calm.**

**Completely fine.**

…

**I think… I think I died and went to heaven guys. Thankfully, they have internet here, neat huh? **

… **No seriously, you guys are killing me with this feedback. Aaaah… My god… Errr, maybe I shouldn't give Mukuro too much of an ego boost, huh? Anyway… Drumroll please! **

…

…**..**

**Sigh, you know what, never mind.**

**THANK YOU FOR BEING AWESOME, READERS, REVIEWERS, FOLLOWERS, FAVORITE-ERS…? **

**I love ya, and you inspire me to keep writing!**

* * *

**Now then, we do, in fact, have a 100****th**** reviewer, but it is a bit peculiar this time around… See, Flaming Belladonna is the 100****th**** reviewer, of that there is no doubt. But… You did send in three reviews in a row and while I'm totally okay with that cause you were catching up to chapters (and it always makes me happier when people don't just review the newest chapter but reviews them all), it makes things a bit uneven prize-wise… **

**So, I am incredibly sorry for this (please don't take it personally… D: ) but the next Tomuro review prize will be going to the 110****th**** reviewer. **

**Additionally… it will be the last time that I will have a drawing as the prize. After this it'll be strictly oneshots, drabbles etc. As some (or most) of you know, my progress with the drawing prizes is being incredibly slow. I do love drawing, but I spend more time writing than I do drawing, so I think it'd be more beneficial and I'd be able to actually reward reviewers faster.**

* * *

**Now that I've spent an entire page in word rambling about that, it's time to get to the stuff you guys have been waiting for! The chap- oh wait, I mean REVIEWS of course!**

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**Flaming Belladonna: Ch10: I'm glad you like him! :D He'll have his share of shenanigans! **

**Ch11: Glad you do c: Chikusa deserves so much more attention, the cutie~ XD I have to admit… I'm hoping people dislike TYL!Tomo a bit… it's all for good reasons tho! Mukuro and Fran doesn't do nearly enough bonding in the series! ;O **

**Ch12: Yes c: While it's… a pain to write fighting scenes, I still enjoy it, and finally Tomo gets to become stronger~ I didn't want her to become strong too fast, but it's kinda frustrating having her watch all of the battles too… XD Oooh, good! :D Since he was one of the references after all! I hope you will enjoy this chapter as well c:**

**Viviene001: Mwahahah ;D It does indeed!**

**OceanRuins: Glad you like it! Oh! Oh, oh! I have a totally clever explanation (that honestly isn't that clever but-)! In my experience, babies are expected to be noisy, messy, demand lots of attention and stuff like that! So, in this particular headcanon of mine (I really wish that we'd gotten more backstory on most characters in KHR in general, geez), Bel's parents basically think he's kinda demonic because he's not behaving like a 'normal' baby. **

**:'3 Good, good! (Ikr? XD) **

**My Name is Alice: Haha, I adore foxes and wolves, but yes, they are very cliché and overused… I'm glad I've been able to keep Tomo quite original c': Yaaay~ And I'm glad they did XD Interesting in a good way, I hope?**

**Candra-ThePhantomAuthor: Oooh, a pokémon? XD No problem dearie~ I'm working on it at the moment~ C: And no worries XD we're all idiots sometimes, aren't we? **

**Whew, this was a loooong author's note, I hope it didn't scare you off! Now then, enjoy!**

* * *

Another knife lodged itself into the wall next to my head. I was seriously starting to get tired of everyone in Varia adamantly believing in the whole 'you'll learn when your life depends on it' thing they had going on. Even Squalo could've ended up killing me at some points, granted, he _did_ go easy on me – though knowing he didn't even need to use half his strength to possibly kill me was kind of disheartening. Regardless, I was a tad grateful Bel didn't go after Mail or Alice, at least.

But his mink was a pain in my rear.

Literally.

It set my skirt on fire. Twice.

Regardless, I dodged yet another knife, making sure to swing my rapier upwards to ensure any possible wires were cut. Bel was a lot smarter than I remembered him being – even geniuses can be un-smart, yeah – as I'd noticed not every knife had a wire attached to it. To be honest, if I hadn't known about him, chances were I'd be lulled into a false sense of security by it. It was easy even for me to think that 'oh, he sent no wire this time because I cut the first one down. He knows it doesn't work so he stopped' and if I hadn't halted myself, pointing out to the part of my mind feeling relief that Bel was, in fact, a genius and no doubt had a reason for it, I would've been skewered to a wall by now.

Still, he had no pattern I could read. He didn't send out a wire every three knives or anything like that. It seemed random, but I reasoned that most likely he had a pattern to it I just didn't see.

It was so incredibly frustrating, because I knew he _wanted _me to cut at wires that might or might not be there as it left me open, but if I _didn't_ check then I would eventually walk right into one.

… I was beginning to really dislike Storm guardians. Them and their genius genes…

"Tch…"

Grabbing the nearby Cloud guardian, I pushed him off in the direction of Bel, hoping he'd make a distraction – and I knew for a fact he was incredibly hard to kill, courtesy of Mukuro trying – ignoring the girlish scream he let out. Bel was fine with cheating, so I wasn't gonna play nice either.

Scooping up both of my box animals, I dove behind a counter for cover, somewhat relieved our fight had led us to the kitchen. It _was_ fairly spacious and had a lot of furniture I could use to my advantage after all.

"KYAAAAAH! NOT THE FACE!"

I blinked, before nodding in satisfaction. My distraction was working so far. Putting down Alice, I let out a chuckle upon seeing the disgruntled expression on Mail's face, his small wings slapping at my hands. I quickly put him down as well, a serious expression overcoming my face.

"Okay, even if Bel's distracted, his mink isn't going to be for long. I can't go Cambio Forma on his butt since I don't have a Vongola ring and all… so, I need to know what kind of abilities the two of you have, okay?" I explained to them quickly, and as quietly as I could. The two stared at me silently, Alice looking confused and Mail giving me that not-as-intimidating-as-Hibari glare again. My expression turned into one of exasperation and I let out a sigh.

"I know you can't exactly speak, but at least give me something to work with…"

Mail let out a huff and Alice merely blinked.

… _I… I'm starting to understand how Gokudera-san feels now…_

Sighing yet again, I reminded myself just what the property of my flame was. There were only so many abilities my box animals could have, after all. Shields, for defensive purposes, actual lightning or hardening objects or weapons. Mail struck me as the offensive type, what with his grumpy personality and the fact that he was constantly trying to slap me, even if his small wings didn't really do any damage. Alice was a bit harder to assess, however. She seemed shy, but for some reason she reminded me of Chrome. Chrome was incredibly shy, but also really strong when fighting.

_Only one way to find out I guess…_

"Mail, Alice, let's show that prince what we're made of!"

Tightening my hold on my rapier, I took a moment to focus, sending flames across its surface to harden it. And then I pounced. Getting over the counter wasn't as difficult as I imagined, but it didn't look very graceful. Regardless, the second I saw Bel, who in turn had already noticed me, I upped my speed and thrust my rapier forward, sending a small ray of lightning at Bel – it wasn't very powerful yet, as I had only just started trying to use it though. I was kinda hoping I'd be able to convince someone to help me with it – though the best candidate would probably be Gamma, I doubted he'd help a stranger… [1] At the same time as I sent out my own attack, I called out Alice's name and she jumped before releasing a shockwave of electricity.

My eyes widened and my mouth opened in shock.

_Oh fu-_

The shield I managed to form practically shattered instantly and I was flung into a wall. The good thing about it was that Bel hadn't dodged in time either, ending up in a messy pile on the floor, Ayden's leg sticking out from beneath his royal rear. I kinda wished I had someone to break my fall too.

Something fluffy touched my leg and I met the beady gaze of Alice. Tears welled up in her eyes and my heart clenched painfully. I honestly hadn't expected her to have that kind of attack, so if anything it was my own fault, not hers.

"It's okay, little buddy. Next time I'll be prepared and have a proper shield set up, okay?"

Mail seemed to roll his little eyes at me, a smug aura seemingly radiating off of him. My eyes twitched.

Regaining my bearings, I stood back up, this time sending Mail an expectant look.

"I'm going to trust that you're not gonna fry me, so how about you go next?"

It was then I realized that Mail was dangerous. Alice was, by no means as recently proven, a pushover, but Mail… Mail didn't even hesitate to jump at Bel, and he _knew_ how dangerous the prince was. Of course, while Bel hadn't quite recovered yet, not even having a half-assed shield like I did to lessen the impact even a little, his mink had. And it was angry, hissing at Mail before sending storm flames at the penguin.

Mail responded by jumping, surprisingly high for his size, dodging the flames sent towards him, before he landed again, this time running up across Bel's chest, avoiding his hands as he attempted to shove him off. He was no doubt still disorganized after Alice's attack, as was I, and didn't succeed in ridding himself of the penguin dead set on reaching his face.

And when he did… well, I don't think I've ever laughed that hard in my life.

Going after the face wasn't a bad thing, you could blind your enemy and all, but Mail…

Mail was slapping Bel with his tiny little wings, and I couldn't stop laughing. Of course, Bel was pissed, but before he could get ahold of Mail, my little penguin coated himself in flames and gave him another slap.

Bel went flying, and I wiped tears from my eyes. Mail was really strong, it seemed. Granted, an attack like that would be impossible in a normal fight, because let's face it, it's not easy to get close to an enemy and pull of something like that, especially not if you're a tiny penguin - but I did figure I could potentially throw him at enemies.

That didn't make it any less hilarious though.

Not even when Bel, who now sported a lovely red wingprint (get it? Handprint, but Mail has wings- … or fins..?), started yelling at me, threatening to do terrible things to me, did it stop my laughing.

"That…. That's the funniest… I can't…" I struggled to form a coherent sentence, only managing to piss Bel off more. Before I could even blink, at least a good thirty knives had surrounded me, and the menacing glint between them told me a good number of them were holding up wires. A drop of sweat trailed down my forehead.

_Shit._

I knew there was no real point trying to apologize, so instead of even attempting to calm him down, I swung my rapier diagonally to the right of me, clearing my path through the kitchen. Alice was already running towards the door I'd cleared the path for, Mail for some reason or the other comfortably seated on top of her, hitching a ride.

I only glanced back once, noting the very dangerous look on Bel's face before bolting. And in my defense, I actually made it to the door, but what stood on the other side was even scarier than a pissed of prince.

I had just run headfirst into Xanxus, and he didn't look happy.

The glare he sent me made me want to wet myself, quite frankly, and I stiffly shuffled to the side so he could walk past me. Behind me, Bel had grown silent, no doubt curious about what his boss would do – probably hoping it was something violent as well, the sadistic jerk. Xanxus took a step, and then another, now inside of the kitchen and turned towards me, taking several menacing steps forward, and I took steps backwards until my back hit the wall and Xanxus stopped.

His hand reached out and-

He grabbed a bottle of liquor from the cabinet above my head.

Why was there even booze in the kitchen? Oh wait, Varia, forget I asked. But why was Xanxus just casually drinking booze while staring at me? Well it looked more like a glare but it wasn't as menacing as before, so that was something positive I assumed.

He took another gulp of alcohol, staring me down.

I could hear Bel laugh in the background, and I could swear I saw Levi in the corner of my eye. He really did stalk Xanxus, it seemed.

I blinked slowly, meeting his stare. Believe me, I wanted nothing more than to run away, since there were even more dangerous people in the room now, but I wasn't so stupid as to turn my back to Xanxus. And he did have kinda nice eyes. The future did him good, appearance wise.

_Too bad he's still kind of an ass…_

I think a minute or two passed before Xanxus simply scoffed, leaving the same way he came. The entire room was deathly silent, and I had a feeling even Bel was blinking owlishly behind those bangs of his, wondering what the heck had just happened.

"… Alice, Mail, it seems we live to see another day."

We ran.

And this time, I made sure to avoid hitting Xanxus as I ran past him, hearing the angry yells of a certain prince behind me.

Bel was such a horrible teacher.

* * *

When Xanxus returned to his office a few minutes later, a smirk was fit snuggly on his lips. The brat did have some guts it seemed.

After all, her older self could never look him in the eye for more than a few seconds and that reminded him far too much of his trash of a Cloud guardian.

* * *

Two simultaneous sneezes echoed throughout the halls of Varia HQ.

"You better not be cursing me in your mind, Bel!"

* * *

**Ritsu: So, I think I did that fairly decent. Also, you may have noticed, but Tomo refers to Belphegor as Bel now, to sorta you know, symbolize that she considers him a bit closer as he's helping – aka torturing – her with training. And Alice is an electricity bomb. Heck yeah. Mail's that grumpy little penguin you don't wanna mess with cause he'll slap you into next week (if he can actually get close to you). I just find the thought of a small animal being pretty strong as amusing, but I added drawbacks, obviously. The smaller you are, the smaller your range. I think it balances it out nicely.**

**And no, this isn't the only abilities the little critters will have. **

**Now imagine how badass it would be if Tomo could steal Lambo's Vongola ring and Cambio Fromage'd-**

… **Actually, if she asked Reborn, he'd probably give it to her, considering how he hates kid Lambo. Pffft.**

**Oh, oh, also~**

**[1] Pffft, Gamma tutoring a friend of Byakuran? Pshhhaaaw. Unless, of course, a certain princess asks him to. Also, the reason why I stated Gamma would be the best choice is because his fighting style is reminiscent of Tomo's, except he thrusts a pool cue at balls instead of a rapier at people. Cough.**

**Now then, onwards! Omake time! This time we explore another one of my backstory headcanons~**

* * *

_When She Left_

* * *

He was crying.

At first, he wasn't sure why, but the reason soon dawned upon him.

**She was leaving.**

_Why_ was she leaving?

_Where_ was she going?

Why…Why _wasn't she taking him with her_?

"Mom! Don't go! Come back!"

She didn't stop, merely continuing to walk towards the car she'd often take him to the park with.

"Take me with you!"

Had he done something wrong? Was he bad?

"Please… Mom..! I'll be good, so please don't leave me..!"

At this, she hesitated, halting her movements.

"You're a good child."

He didn't understand. If he was good, why was she-

"So… so you'll take me with you?"

Her hands clenched into fists.

"No. You have to stay here. I'll come back for you soon, okay?"

She was lying, his instincts told him. But his mom would never lie to him, never, his heart told him.

"O… Okay. I'll… I'll wait for you, mom… So please come back and get me..!"

He wasn't able to see the tears that escaped her eyes, or the way her shoulders trembled at his words.

"Be good for mommy, okay? Remember that mommy will be back, hold onto that memory forever…"

Perhaps if he had been older, he would have understood the true meaning behind her words. Perhaps he would have realized and accepted that she only spoke those words to give him hope. That she wouldn't come back. But he was only four.

Only four, when his mother walked out of his life and never returned.

* * *

Letting out a sigh, Mukuro found himself glaring at seemingly thin air. He hadn't had that dream for such a long time, for it to suddenly return was…

Strange.

Suspicious.

A part of him refused to forgive his mother, a woman who gave up on him without even trying. But the other part of him understood. That part knew she was dead the moment she was out of sight and that she was hoping with all her heart that Mukuro would live.

And he did. He became stronger, powerful, and he won. He wiped out the Estraneo that had ripped his family apart.

A dark chuckle left his lips.

But that didn't bring anyone back, did it?

Not his mother.

Not his father.

He'd lost them both.

_But I did gain something…_

He gained allies… Friends, even, though they'd never hear him say such a thing. He didn't need to, anyway. They knew.

And then there was-

He closed his eyes, shaking his head.

_I really am becoming soft…_

He was glad no one was there to see how his cheeks had grown red as he thought about her, the person so precious to him that he'd risk his world for her. And then he whispered a sentence, setting his own heart ablaze with emotion he thought he could no longer feel.

"… I wish you could've met her, mom…"


	14. The Future Isn't Always Bleack

**Ritsu: Been busy and stuff. And really really sick :'( Yeah. Then I ended up rewriting half of this because I just couldn't figure out how to end it. Urgh.**

**New Shimon Tomo version is up on my profile if you want to see more of Tomo. Millefiore version for all you Tomuran shippers too. Links are on my profile! I also finished one of the drawing prizes, so I'm making progress!**

**Additionally, I received some fanart made by the lovely KeranWest! (add a dot between Keran and West!) It can be found on her profile, and you guys should totally check it out! (I wasn't sure if you'd mind if I reposted your link on my profile so I gave you a shoutout instead!) As well as fanart from the lovely AkariSawada on DA! Check my profile!**

* * *

**Reviews!**

* * *

**animagirl: On the way! :D **

**TheCelticKnot: Aww, thank you! :D I'm glad you like it! **

**Viviene001: I know right~? ;D **

**My Name is Alice: Good! Rawr! Oooh, I could totally do that… Adding to the ever growing list of omakes to write… XD I shall see what I can whip up!**

**OceanRuins: Heh :'D Glad you like 'em! (Praaaaise it! *bows*) Awww :'D You're making me blush! (Cough, let's make it so great Akira-sensei notices it and makes it completely canon- I mean uhh)**

**C-J-V: I know right? And thank you very much! :D**

**kylC: Ahahah XD I'm very glad you like 'im c: Mail will rule the mafia one day, trust me! **

**ddmahan922: XD Oh gosh, I wish you could! I'd get one myself! Best part is, nobody expects the Spanish inqu- errr… the penguin! He sure is, aaah… Indeed XD There's a queue line of lightyears to get a spot on that list by now~**

**Flaming Belladonna: Yes! :D Mwahah, I've been wanting to write Xanxus for a while now~ Indeed he is! If only he was more approachable, huh? Aww c: Glad you liked it!**

**PS: Italic thing returns this chapter! Anyone wanna wager a guess at just what these segments might be? ;)**

* * *

_It came clean off._

_I'd never seen that much blood before, and even though I knew it wasn't real, the drops that splattered onto my face left me feeling great discomfort. I wanted to wipe them away until there would be no trace of them ever having been there in the first place._

_My eyes widened and I found it hard to breathe._

_She lost her balance and hit the ground face first. It only took a moment before he was at her side, quickly but gently turning her over. _

_Her eyes didn't open._

_The look on his face made my knees buckle and I fell backwards, staring up in horror at the scene before me._

"_TOMO!"_

_I passed out._

* * *

The boy in my arms let out a soft sigh, tightening his hold on my jacket in his sleep. Gently readjusting my hold on him, a soft smile settled on my lips and I only found myself lamenting that I couldn't stroke his hair, the large apple hat in place on his head.

I had found Fran seated in one of the various corridors littering the Varia HQ, propped up against a wall snoring lightly, when I'd wandered the halls after Bel had finally decided that our fight was over. I think I got pretty lucky, considering he wasn't usually the type to stop before his opponent was dead.

I wasn't sure why he was there or why he'd fall asleep in such a place, but after a single glance I found myself unable to just leave him there, so I'd decided to simply bring him with me to my room instead.

_Heaven knows I don't trust Bel not to try anything if he stumbled across Fran sleeping. _

"…"

My thoughts found themselves drifting towards the event I'd witnessed some time ago. Fran… was homesick. I couldn't blame him. I was homesick too. But not just for the past. A part of me missed the life I had before. Even though I could hardly even remember it anymore – had it really been that long? It didn't feel like seven years at all – and I longed to return. But I also knew the best I could hope for was to return to the past.

Still, it scared me. Time was a fickle thing. It was very much possible that the past we'd return to would be so different we'd hardly even recognize it. After all, the Arcobaleno battle would definitely have started by now.

_But even so… we don't belong in this time. And… I miss everyone…_

I was so caught up in my thoughts I didn't even realize a person was waiting outside of my room until I practically walked into him.

* * *

Chikusa blinked, staring silently at the girl in front of him. Considering the embarrassed blush on her cheeks and her surprised expression, he reasoned she'd probably had her head in the clouds and didn't notice him. Or she was just clumsy.

Heck, maybe he just lacked presence.

Chikusa didn't really dwell on it for long, instead paying attention to the awkward stuttering from the very much shorter and fidgety woman in front of him.

"I uuhhm… S-sorry…"

He tilted his head to the side before shrugging. He hadn't exactly been hurt, so it hardly mattered. A soft groan snapped his attention towards the child in her arms. Fran shifted, but his eyes remained closed. The sight of her holding onto the kid was enough to make a small smile flutter across his lips for a moment. His expression soon faded into the monotone mask he'd worked so hard on perfecting after-

… The edges of his lips tugged down slightly before he caught himself. A hand raised itself and he adjusted his glasses awkwardly, moving to the side so Tomo could enter her room. She blinked owlishly for a moment before sending him a smile, cracking part of his mask without much effort.

… _I've become soft._

Chikusa turned around, his gaze following her form. He wanted to join her, but it wasn't until she sent him a small nod, as if saying it was okay, that he finally found the strength to cross her threshold. His limbs felt stiff, however, and he almost tripped on thin air before he promptly told himself to stop being such a klutz and act his age.

Sending him another smile, Tomo turned her back towards him, walking up to her own bed. He silently watched her tuck in the sleeping illusionist and marveled at just how good she seemed to be with children.

"Tomo-san."

Turning to look at him once more, she sent him a confused look.

"Hmm?"

He adjusted his glasses once more, ignoring the voice in his head telling him it'd become a habit when he got nervous. He was fine. He was calm.

"Have you ever had children?"

The look on her face sent him into confusion and slight embarrassment. Her face had gone pale white before it shifted to an unhealthy red color and she gaped at him, seemingly unable to find words. Finally after what seemed like minutes had passed, she managed to stutter out a no, waving her hands in front of her quickly.

"W-why… why do you ask..?"

Chikusa blinked slowly, merely sending her a stare. He couldn't exactly tell her the real reason he'd asked, so he settled for not answering at all.

"… Chikusa…-san..?"

He adjusted his glasses – and it wasn't a nervous habit, dammit! – glancing at Fran as the illusionist spoke softly in his sleep.

"… mom…"

At first, Chikusa wasn't sure if Tomo had heard Fran's words, but a glance at her now stiff form told him all he needed to know. A small gasp left her lips, and a mere moment later her eyes grew glossy with unshed tears. Chikusa's expression morphed into one of surprise. Was she sad? Happy? Angry?

Tears could mean a lot of things, this he knew from experience. When Tomo had allowed herself to be hurt in his place, the tears he'd shed had been ones of sadness. When Mukuro-san had lost her, he'd shed tears of frustration – though Chikusa doubted even the master illusionist knew that he had been seen that day. Even Ken had occasionally shed angry tears.

What…

What was Tomo feeling?

"… Tomo-san?"

She was distressed, that much he knew. The way she kept glancing between Chikusa and Fran as if wanting to know if he'd heard it too, told him heaps about how she was unsure of what to do.

But those tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks.

What did they mean?

* * *

Verde stared at the rubble before him, a thoughtful look on his face.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed since the disappearance of the two illusionists and that girl, far too absorbed in his findings, but a small part of him did remind him that currently, half of his battle force was missing. And that was _not_ good.

Sure, the girl probably wasn't capable of much, but even if Mukuro returned, Verde knew that he most likely wouldn't fight for him unless the girl – what was her name anyway? Tomato? Tomorrow? – was fine and by his side.

Troublesome brats, that's what they were.

If none of the three returned soon, he knew that even with his inventions, he'd lose.

He didn't want to lose.

Not to Reborn.

Not to anyone.

But he truly felt like he hadn't won in a long time.

Would he ever?

_I need to bring them back._

Not just for his own sake-

Their friends were worried and anything could happen in the future-

He shook his head to rid it of thoughts.

_Their worry does not matter._

He ignored the slight tinge of regret lacing his thoughts. The past… he'd rather not think about it right now. Couldn't afford to. Time was of the essence.

"I will bring them back."

A boy with a beanie and another with a rather distinct scar across the bridge of his nose started slightly, surprised at the Arcobaleno's sudden words.

His eyes narrowed.

"I will not lose again."

Neither of the teens were quite sure what he meant.

* * *

**Ritsu: I know the chapter is short. I knoooow. It's late too. I think I already mentioned it, but I ended up rewriting this chapter lots of times, and the fact that I'm still not well (seriously, what the eff? I got sick on the 29****th**** and I'm STILL sick. UGH) attributed to me having trouble sitting down to write. I'd either be too busy shivering or I'd sweat and shake my fists at the bugs that invaded my room when I was forced to open my windows for the first time in four years or so.**

**Sigh, anyway, OMAKE TIEM! (I have to compensate somehow, right?)**

* * *

_O's and peace_

* * *

I blinked, watching the situation in front of me unfold without interrupting.

Fran was apparently baking, Lussuria helping him along – mainly by handing him the things he couldn't reach as Fran kept insisting he didn't need any help – occasionally offering him some advice. But the flamboyant Varia assassin was strangely quiet. While I wanted to question it, the two of them had no idea I was spying on them, therefore I had no intention of revealing myself. That, and Mukuro, who was peeking through the window next to me, kept sending me warning looks whenever the temptation to knock on the glass grew. Clearly, _somebody_ didn't want Fran to know he actually cared.

_How cute…_

Returning my focus to the kitchen on the other side of the glass, a smile made its way onto my lips, seeing Fran with a rather serious face. He really was going all in for whatever he was making, and it wasn't exactly often he did things wholeheartedly. A nice change, that much was certain.

But I was at a complete loss trying to figure out what had inspired such a change in the little teal-haired kid. Or was his hair turquoise?

_No… turquoise leans more towards blue whereas teal leans more towards green. And his hair _is_ pretty green… Is it even teal? It could just be an odd shade of green…_

"… Don't hurt yourself."

I blinked.

"Eh?"

Mukuro let out a sigh and rolled his eyes.

"There's practically steam coming out of your head. Stop thinking so hard about stupid things."

It was with a pout and a small blush I stated that it was most definitely _not_ stupid and that my head was not steaming. Though to myself I added quietly that steam was made from water hitting something hot, so Mukuro was basically calling me hot. Right? Right.

"… So why do you reckon he's baking anyway?" I asked after another few minutes of spying, growing tired of the silence. Honestly, I didn't mind being around Mukuro – most of the time, anyway – but when he wasn't in one of his moods – angsty, cocky, teasing – he had a tendency of letting silences drag on. At least, around me it seemed like it. I honestly wasn't sure about the others, considering the fact that there never were that many details regarding his interactions with his friends and all.

Mukuro let out another soft sigh laced by what I assumed was exasperation.

"Why don't you ask him?"

… _Was he being sarcastic just now?_

Sending him a suspicious look, I inched towards the window, raising my fist to gently knock on it when a hand took hold of my collar and tugged me back into the bush. Well, if Mukuro wasn't annoyed before, he certainly was now, if the look on his face was anything to go by. A part of me constantly egged me on to check just how far I could push the pineapple before he snapped, but the saner part of my mind usually won. Daring a glance at the sharp tips of his trident, I found myself agreeing that no, today was not the day to push him past the edge either.

"… So why are we-" I began once Mukuro released his hold on me, only to be interrupted when he covered my mouth with his hand.

"Tomo?"

I blinked before nodding.

"Shut up."

… He didn't move his hand for the next hour.

* * *

"… They're still watching us, aren't they?"

"Mmm~ It seems that way! Though To-chan did look like she was going to reveal herself for a while there~"

"… I wonder when they'll realize Fran-san already left…"

"Muku-chan probably already figured it out~"

"If he already knows, then why am I still forced to look like this..?"

"We~ell…"

"… You're all bullies, you know that?"

"But your pouting face is so adorable, Ay-chan~"

"… Don't call me that."

"It's important to nurture your, ah… what did she call them… Oh-tee-peace? Something like that~ Muku-chan and To-chan are well due for some bonding~!"

"…"

Ayden found himself seriously questioning his life choices, shoulders slumped as he proceeded to ignore the ramblings of the exuberant assassin next to him.

… _I'm not paid enough for this shit._


	15. Strength Must Be Gained

**Ritsu: I'm FREE! (Not the anime, sadly)**

**I bring you the next chapter in this story! **

**Additionally, all the links on my profile poofed. Apparently I am not the only one with this problem. Here's hoping it gets fixed soon…!**

**ANNOUNCEMENT: From this day onwards (Saturday, 11****th**** of July) TSOK will be updated every SATURDAY. I will do my best to adhere to this schedule and if I mess up, you may pelt me with stuff.**

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**Reviews~**

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**kylC: Pretty much! I keep them closed at all times except when it gets too unbearably hot and even my table fan isn't enough! Don't like the idea of bugs and bees getting inside of my room D': Glad you liked it! XD Oh-tee-peace for LYF!**

**Viviene001: :'3 Indeed! And an update is here for you!**

**My Name is Alice: Perhaps her feelings will have light shed upon them this chapter~ Mwahah! I've got… Caternal instincts! I simply can't leave cats be! Oh gosh… Haru and Tomo could have playdates X'D Chaotic as they would be… More is on the way!**

**OceanRuins: … Whoops? XD I swear it wasn't on purpose! What indeed… perhaps a later omake will tell?! (It might just be the last one! You never know!) Thank you for the get well wishes! :D**

**Flaming Belladonna: He's such a cutie, but a kid can't be having that great a time when stuck in the mafia, I imagine D: I wanted (as with most characters) to give a bit more insight into what I believe the characters to feel. Give him some depth and all. And yes, it probably does get tiring :P Glad you liked it!**

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If Chikusa had dared to actually ask Tomo just what she was feeling, he probably would've received the answer 'I don't know'. He hadn't dealt with a lot of women, or people in general, in his time, and emotions were already difficult enough for him to comprehend, so when Tomo finally did start crying, Chikusa was at a loss of what to do.

Fetch Mukuro?

Try to comfort her?

Simply leave?

Whenever M.M cried – more often than most would expect – she would always yell at everyone to leave her alone. When Chrome cried, she never really said anything at all and he'd just shuffle away awkwardly. Mukuro rarely cried – in fact, Chikusa could count on one hand the times he'd managed to witness Mukuro even displaying sadness – and Chikusa had only silently watched from the shadows when he'd caught sight of it. Ken… Ken would blubber about denying it regardless of how utterly obvious it was that he was in fact crying.

The older Tomo… she was different. She wasn't the same as the Tomo in front of him – and no matter how creepy he thought it sounded, he couldn't help but think that he liked this Tomo a lot more – but he understood her much better. She was… like an open book. This Tomo was harder to read.

Had his younger self also had trouble with this Tomo? He couldn't remember anymore. A lot of things were forgotten in the memories of Chikusa Kakimoto. The moment he remembered the most was, after all, the moment when everything had gone wrong.

And he tried so hard, so incredibly hard, to move on. To get over it and keep walking-

And he failed every time.

As he gently placed a hand on the top of Tomo's head, a part of him felt relieved.

This Tomo could still cry.

And it eased his guilty heart just a little.

* * *

I spent an hour crying before I calmed down.

Chikusa just stood there awkwardly with a hand on my head the entire time and I reckoned he felt utterly lost, if the look on his face was anything to go by. But… it brought me some comfort, and I appreciated that. The future so far had been rather… sad. Knowing what could happen was in a way a relief because it increased my chances of changing it, but a part of me also felt worried. Naturally, a lot of things could change, and they could change for the better or for the worse. To begin with, three members – though if Verde decided to kick me off the team after this I wouldn't quite blame him – of the Kokuyo team was stuck in the future when we needed to battle in the _past_.

If we didn't get back soon, who knew what might happen?

It wasn't about 'canon' or 'plot' so much for me anymore as it was the dangers I knew was waiting for us. The dangers that could've already began without us. If the battles had already begun, would Tsuna prevail in the end? Would Vindice?

It gave me a headache to think about, to be honest.

Letting out a soft sigh, I sent Chikusa a small smile.

"I… I'm okay now. Sorry about that…"

"…"

I found myself staring at Fran's sleeping face again. He really… didn't deserve all this… this stress and danger and pain. He was just a kid…

A kid missing his mother.

"… Hey, Chikusa-san?"

"… Yeah?"

"… Do you think that… we can change the future?"

He was silent for a minute or two before answering.

"… Mmm."

"… Thanks."

"No problem."

He left the room after that, gently closing the door behind him. It was… strange. Comparing the Chikusa I knew and this one from the future, I could tell that they were quite different. Older Chikusa was more expressive in the sense that his emotions slipped through. And he had that same sad look on his face that Squalo always tried to hide.

I sighed.

_I wonder… Just how hurt is the Mukuro of this time..? Maybe it's better… not meeting him._

Shaking my head to rid it of all my negative thoughts – which only really worked partially – I sat down next to Fran, awkwardly patting his hat. He mumbled something in his sleep again before turning onto his side. Gently pushing him further towards the other side of the bed, I threw my own head onto the pillow, closing my eyes.

Only to have them snap open again a moment later.

_Wait, what the heck did Chikusa want?!_

* * *

Ken found himself twitching when Chikusa let out a surprisingly loud sneeze, sending him a confused look.

"What the hell, byon?"

"…"

_I had no idea Kaki-pi was even able to sneeze…_

* * *

Verde dropped the hammer in his hand as a loud sneeze surprised him. He didn't hesitate to chuck the closest box at the beanie wearing teenager.

"If you're going to be in here then _shut up_!"

"…"

* * *

By the time I came to from whatever weird illusionary dreamland I had been in, I'd noticed fairly quickly that I was being dragged by the foot across cold stone-tiled floor. If that wasn't the epitome of a rude awakening, then I didn't know what was.

Of course, I freaked out initially, until a loud 'VOI' promptly assured me I wasn't being kidnapped by an enemy or something. Didn't stop me from trying to kick Squalo in the butt though.

I had no idea of the time nor where precisely I was being dragged, but I reasoned that it was probably training.

And if it wasn't, well… I could… call for help..?

… _I… I hope Alice and Mail are with me…_

Because if they weren't, then I would be pretty screwed, I realized, when I witnessed a second person in the training room.

"…"

Clearly, I had upset _someone_.

And now I was gonna get my butt kicked by a shark and a mink.

… _This is definitely karma for something…_

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**Ritsu: Semi-short, semi-jumpy chapter. But we're getting pretty close to ending this arc, so I'm trying to wrap things up a bit. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	16. Update Notice

Ritsu here! So, I've been MIA for quite some time, haven't I? Well, truth is I've TRIED to go back to these stories to continue them, but I just haven't been able to. But, I do enjoy what I've written, and I don't want to give up on them, so I've decided to go through the previous chapters to rewrite them a bit to raise their quality. I don't know how long this'll take, but I hope everyone will be able to wait patiently.

I sincerely apologize for disappearing for so long. Rest assured that things are MUCH better for me than they were way back when I took my break, and I'm very grateful for everyone's kind words!

-Ritsu


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